Exceptional Student Education

Broward County Public Schools serve over 32,000 students with disabilities and offers a free and appropriate public education in compliance with the federally mandated IDEA. A continuum of services and programs are available to meet the individual needs of students eligible for special education and related services, ages 3 through 22. This continuum of services may be provided in a variety of settings, which include general education classrooms, resource rooms, specialized day schools, and hospital homebound. Eligible students are provided supports and/or services as per their Individual Education Plan (IEP) that are based on each child’s unique needs, as related to their present levels of academic achievement and functional performance.

Exceptional Student Education Division staff provides professional learning opportunities and instructional programming to facilitate high quality instruction for students with disabilities. Supplemental services are provided in collaboration with discretionary projects such as Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System/Florida Inclusion Network and the Multiagency Network for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities (SEDNET).

transition to adulthood planning (tap)

The Exceptional Student Education Department is offering a monthly Transition to Adulthood Planning (TAP) series for parents of students with disabilities. Does your student have an IEP? Come learn important information that can help your student prepare for life after high school.
Click here to see the Transition to Adulthood Flyer

Join us the second Tuesday of every month from 6:00pm to 7:30pm on TEAMS.
Each session explores a new topic to help you navigate Transition Services, Post-Secondary Options, Deferment Programs and Agency Resources.

Click Here to Join us on Teams!

Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 230 226 068 80
Passcode: tVrg7Q

Resources for Caregivers

The Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Division is working in collaboration with elementary and secondary learning to provide guidance around best practices, ideas, and resources for general education and ESE instructional staff (support facilitators, SLPs, special program teachers, and Pre-K ESE teachers) to schools so they can determine how these staff members can provide services to their students with disabilities Pre-K through transition in this new learning environment.

For information and resources to support and continue learning, please visit www.browardschools.com/learningnevercloses.

Child find referral form

Birth to 35 Months
To make a referral for children with developmental concerns,
please call Broward Early Steps at (954) 728-1101 or
complete a referral form at https://childrensdiagnostic.com/early-steps/.

Ages 3-5
For directions to complete the FDLRS Child Find Referral Form Ages 3-5 click the link below:
https://reach.fdlrs.org/child-find

Child Find for parentally placed Private School students in grades K-12 suspected of having a disability:

Click on this link to complete the Private School Request form https://forms.office.com/r/919nELrvw4 (home address must match address on driver license provided). Once you fill out the form and click "Submit," we will receive it, so you don't have to send the completed form as an attachment.

If you would rather complete the form manually, click here to download the form and email it

E-mail: esepss@browardschools.com

Fax: 754-321-3448

Call 754-321-3426 with any questions.

For more information please visit our Parentally Placed Private School Services Page

Contact Information

Exceptional Student Education Division at Arthur Ashe Campus

1701 NW 23rd Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33311

Phone: 754-321-3400

Diane Eagan

Executive Director

Andrea Ciotti

Director, Specialized Instruction

Sabrina Sheib

Director, ESE Curriculum

Stephanie Acosta Castro

Director, ESE Support/Compliance