Welcome to Hernando County's
Exceptional Student Education Department!
The Exceptional Student Education department provides programs and services for eligible students whose needs cannot be fully met in the regular classroom without additional support.
The Hernando County Exceptional Student Education Program (ESE) serves dual sensory impaired students who have one or more of the following disabilities: speech and/or language impaired, deaf/hard of hearing, visually impaired, specific learning disabled, emotional/behavioral disability, physically impaired with orthopedic impairment, with other health impairment or with traumatic brain injury, mentally handicapped, autism spectrum disorder, hospital or homebound, developmentally delayed, and gifted. The Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FLDRS) and The Severely Emotionally Disturbed Network (SEDNET) are also a part of this department.
Students placed in the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) programs must qualify according to specific guidelines defined in the Hernando County Special Programs and Procedures Document for the Education of Exceptional Students.
Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are developed to best meet the students' individual needs in the least restrictive environment. These plans are developed by parents, ESE personnel, and other staff as appropriate.