Florida Administrative Code

(1) Speech impairments are disorders of speech sounds, fluency, or voice that interfere with communication, adversely affect performance and/or functioning in the educational environment, and result in the need for exceptional student education. (a) Speech sound disorder. A speec…

(1) Language impairments are disorders of language that interfere with communication, adversely affect performance and/or functioning in the student's typical learning environment, and result in the need for exceptional student education. (a) A language impairment is defined as a…

(1) Definitions. (a) Deaf means a hearing level that is so severe that it impacts the processing of linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects the student's educational performance. (b) Hard of hearing means a hearing impairment …

(1) Definitions. (a) Visual impairment including blindness means any impairment in vision regardless of significance or severity that, even with correction, adversely affects the student's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness, including ocul…

Rulemaking Authority 1000.01, 1001.42(4)(1), 1003.57 FS. Law Implemented 1000.01, 1001.42(4)(1), 1003.21, 1011.62(1)(c) FS. History-New 7-1-77, Amended 8-16-82, 7-13-83, Formerly 6A-6.3015, Amended 2-12-91, 7-13-93, Repealed 7-1-07.

(1) Definition. Orthopedic impairment means a severe skeletal, muscular, or neuromuscular impairment. The term includes impairments resulting from congenital anomalies (e.g. including but not limited to skeletal deformity or spina bifida), and impairments resulting from other cau…

(1) Definition. Other health impairment means having limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that is due to chronic or acute health problems.…

(1) Definition. A traumatic brain injury means an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects educational performance. The term applies to mild, m…

(1) Definition. Students with an emotional/behavioral disability (E/BD). A student with an emotional/behavioral disability has persistent (is not sufficiently responsive to implemented evidence based interventions) and consistent emotional or behavioral responses that adversely a…

(1) Definition. A specific learning disability is defined as a disorder in one or more of the basic learning processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest in significant difficulties affecting the ability to listen, speak, read, wr…

(1) Gifted. One who has superior intellectual development and is capable of high performance. (2) Criteria for eligibility. A student is eligible for special instructional programs for the gifted if the student meets the criteria under paragraph (2)(a) or (b) of this rule. (a) Th…

Educational Plans (EPs) are developed for students whose only identified exceptionality is gifted. For a student identified as gifted in accordance with Rule 6A-6.03019, F.A.C., and who is also identified as a student with a disability, as defined in paragraph 6A-6.03411(1)(f), F…

(1) Definition. For the purposes of this rule, the following definition applies: Homebound or hospitalized student. A homebound or hospitalized student is a student who has a medically diagnosed physical or psychiatric condition that is acute or catastrophic in nature, a chronic …

Rulemaking Authority 1001.42(4)(1), 1003.57, 1011.62(1)(c) FS. Law Implemented 1000.01, 1001.42(4)(1), 1003.21, 1003.57(5), 1011.62(1)(c) FS., Item 315, Section 1, Chapter 79-212, Laws of Florida. History-New 7-2-79, Amended 10-23-79, Formerly 6A-6.3021, Repealed 1-18-07.

(1) Definitions. (a) Dual sensory impairment is defined as the presence of both hearing loss and a visual impairment, or an etiology or a medical diagnosis that indicates a potential dual sensory loss, the combination of which adversely affects the student's educational performan…

(1) Definition. Autism spectrum disorder is a condition that reflects a wide range of symptoms and levels of impairment, which vary in severity from one (1) individual to another. Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by an atypical developmental profile with a pattern of qua…

(1) Definitions. (a) Occupational therapy is defined to mean services provided by a licensed occupational therapist or a licensed occupational therapy assistant pursuant to the provisions of the Occupational Therapy Practice Act found in Part III, Chapter 468, F.S., and sub-subpa…

Rulemaking Authority 1000.01, 1001.42(4)(1), 1003.01(3), 1003.21, 1003.57, 1011.62 FS. Law Implemented 1000.01, 1001.42(4)(1), 1003.21, 1011.62 FS. History-New 11-25-80, Formerly 6A-6.3025, Amended 2-12-91, Repealed 8-22-12.

(1) A prekindergarten child with disability is a child who meets the following criteria: (a) The child is below three (3) years of age and meets criteria for eligibility specified for intellectual disabilities in accordance with Rule 6A-6.03011, F.A.C.; deaf or hard of hearing in…

(1) Definition. A child who is developmentally delayed is three (3) through nine (9) years of age, or through the student's completion of grade 2, whichever occurs first, and is delayed in one (1) or more of the following areas: (a) Adaptive or self-help development; (b) Cognitiv…

(1) Entitlement to FAPE. All students with disabilities aged three (3) through twenty-one (21) residing in the state have the right to FAPE consistent with the requirements of Section 1003.571, F.S., and Rules 6A-6.03011 through 6A-6.0361, F.A.C. FAPE shall be made available to s…

School districts must maintain policies and procedures in accordance with this rule to ensure the provision of equitable services to students with disabilities who have been placed in private schools by their parents where the provision of free appropriate public education (FAPE)…

Parents are a child's first teachers and are partners with school and school district personnel to identify the specific concerns and priorities of the family related to enhancing their child's development. Procedures for developing individualized family support plans shall be se…

(1) Definition. An infant or toddler with an established condition is defined as a child from birth through two (2) years of age with a diagnosed physical or mental condition known to have a high probability of resulting in developmental delay. Such conditions shall include genet…

(1) Definition. An infant or toddler who is developmentally delayed is defined as a child from birth through two years of age who has a delay in one (1) or more of the following developmental domains: (a) Adaptive development; (b) Cognitive development; (c) Communication developm…

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(1), (2)(n), 1003.01(3)(a), (b), 1003.21(1)(e), 1003.57(5) FS. Law Implemented 1001.03(8), 1001.42(4)(l), 1003.01(3)(a), (b), 1003.21(1)(e), 1003.57.(5), 1011.62(1)(c) FS. History-New 1-4-94, Amended 9-20-04. Cf. P.L. 105-17, 20 USC 1439, Repealed 1-7-…

(1) Definitions. (a) For purposes of this rule, "specialized instructional services" refers to those services authorized to be provided under Section 1002.66, F.S. (b) For purposes of this rule, "an applicable field of study" refers to an occupation that is subject to licensure o…

Special programs for exceptional students encompass instruction and related services which provide significant adaptations in one or more of the following: curriculum, methodology, materials, equipment, or environment designed to meet the individual learning needs of exceptional …

Rulemaking Authority 1001.42(4)(1), 1003.57, 1011.62(1)(c) FS. Law Implemented 1003.43, 1003.438 FS. History-New 4-30-85, Formerly 6A-6.312, Amended 4-23-87, Repealed 6-23-16.

The state's goal is to provide full educational opportunity and a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to all students with disabilities ages three (3) through twenty-one (21) and to students who are gifted in grades kindergarten through 12. School districts have the responsi…

Each public agency, including a school district, must establish, maintain and implement procedural safeguards that meet the requirements of this rule. A public agency means local educational agencies (LEAs), educational services agencies (ESAs), nonprofit public charter schools t…

For students with disabilities whose behavior impedes their learning or the learning of others, strategies, including positive behavioral interventions and supports to address that behavior must be considered in the development of their individual educational plans (IEPs). School…

Providing parents with information regarding their rights under this rule is critical to ensuring that they have the opportunity to be partners in the decisions regarding their children. It is also critical that local school boards provide information about these rights to approp…

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(1), (2)(n), 1003.01(3)(a), (b), 1003.57(5) FS. Law Implemented 1001.42(4)(l) 1003.01(3)(a), (b), 1003.57(5) FS. History-New 9-20-04, Repealed 12-22-08.

Form IEPC SCF-1, Scholarship Program Compliance Form for Private School Participants in State Scholarship Programs (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16947), hereinafter Scholarship Compliance Form, is hereby incorporated by reference to become a part of this ru…

A surrogate parent is an individual appointed to act in the place of a parent in educational decision-making and in safeguarding a student's rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 39.0016, F.S., when no parent can be identified; the student's par…

(1) Individual educational plans (IEPs) and educational plans (EPs) for students who transfer school districts within Florida. If an exceptional education student who had an IEP or EP that was in effect in a previous Florida school district transfers to a new Florida school distr…

(1) Definitions. As used in Rules 6A-6.03011-.0361, F.A.C., regarding the education of exceptional students, the following definitions apply: (a) Accommodations. Accommodations are changes that are made in how the student accesses information and demonstrates performance. (b) Ass…

(1) Requirement for contractual agreement. (a) Each school district shall provide special education and related services to an exceptional student with a disability through a contractual agreement with an approved nonpublic school or community facility under the following circums…

Rulemaking Authority 1002.79 FS. Law Implemented 1002.55(3)(g), 1002.57 FS. History-New 12-31-06, Amended 5-19-08, Transferred to 6M-6.610.

(1) Dropout prevention programs differ from traditional programs in scheduling, instructional strategies, philosophy, curricula, learning activities and assessment. These positive comprehensive programs shall provide courses leading to the achievement of a standard State of Flori…

(1) Definitions. (a) "Credit Recovery courses" mean elective, credit-bearing courses in English, mathematics, science and social studies, listed in the current year's Course Code Directory incorporated in Rule 6A-1.09441, F.A.C., with specific content requirements defined by stat…

Rulemaking Authority 229.053(1), 230.2316(10) FS. Law Implemented 230.2316 FS. History-New 1-2-95, Repealed 6-23-16.

Rulemaking Authority 229.053(1), 230.2316(10) FS. Law Implemented 230.2316 FS. History-New 10-30-90, Amended 1-2-95, Repealed 1-7-16.

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02, 1003.53 FS. Law Implemented 1003.53 FS. History-New 10-30-90, Amended 1-2-95, Repealed 11-21-17.

Pregnant and parenting students and their children shall be entitled to participate in Teenage Parent (TAP) Programs designed to provide comprehensive educational and ancillary services to facilitate the parents' completion of high school. Students participating in teenage parent…

Rulemaking Authority 229.053(1), 230.2316(10) FS. Law Implemented 230.2316 FS. History-New 10-30-90, Amended 1-2-95, Repealed 1-7-16.