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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to children with developmental 2
disabilities; amending s. 381.9855, F.S.; revising the 3
scope of the Dr. and Mrs. Alfonse and Kathleen Cinotti 4
Health Care Screening and Services Grant Program to 5
allow grant funds to be used for screenings, re ferrals 6
for treatment, and related services for autism; 7
amending s. 391.302, F.S.; revising applicability of 8
definitions to conform to changes made by the act; 9
defining the term "department"; amending s. 391.308, 10
F.S.; revising requirements for the annual grant 11
application submitted by the Department of Health for 12
the Early Steps Program to conform to changes made by 13
the act; creating s. 391.3081, F.S.; providing 14
legislative intent; providing a purpose for the Early 15
Steps Extended Option; defining the term "child"; 16
requiring the department to seek federal approval for 17
the Early Steps Extended Option; requiring the 18
department, jointly with the Department of Education, 19
to develop or amend any rule, policy, procedure, 20
written agreement, or contract necessary to implement 21
the Early Steps Extended Option; requiring the 22
department to seek additional federal grant funds for 23
implementation of the Early Steps Extended Option; 24
authorizing the department to implement the Early 25
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Steps Extended Option regardless of certain federal 26
funding; requiring local program offices of the Early 27
Steps Program to include certain steps for transition 28
in the individualized family support plan for each 29
child served by the Early Steps Extended Option; 30
specifying eligibility criteria for a c hild's 31
enrollment in the Early Steps Extended Option; 32
providing that a child becomes ineligible to reenter 33
the Early Steps Extended Option upon exiting; 34
requiring local school districts, in conjunction with 35
local program offices, to notify a child's parent or 36
legal guardian of his or her rights under certain 37
circumstances; requiring local program offices to take 38
specified steps for transitioning children out of the 39
Early Steps Extended Option within a specified 40
timeframe before they age out; requiring local program 41
offices, in conjunction with local school districts, 42
to modify or develop, as applicable, individual 43
education plans with specified elements for such 44
children; requiring local program offices and local 45
school districts to provide specified written 46
information to a child's parent or legal guardian if 47
the child is determined ineligible for school district 48
program services; requiring the department to include 49
a performance assessment of the Early Steps Extended 50
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Option in a specified annual report; spe cifying 51
requirements for such assessment; creating s. 52
1003.5711, F.S.; providing legislative findings and 53
intent; requiring the University of Florida Center for 54
Autism and Neurodevelopment to oversee certain grants; 55
requiring the center to develop guidelin es for grant 56
administration; providing eligibility requirements for 57
grant applicants; providing that grants may be used 58
for specified purposes; authorizing the center to 59
prioritize grant allocations for specified purposes; 60
requiring grant recipients to sub mit a specified 61
report; creating s. 1003.5712, F.S.; providing 62
legislative findings and purpose; requiring the 63
University of Florida Center for Autism and 64
Neurodevelopment to fund specialized summer programs 65
for children with autism spectrum disorder; requ iring 66
the center to publish guidelines for grant 67
applications; requiring the center to provide 68
technical assistance to grant applicants and 69
recipients; providing eligibility requirements for the 70
specialized summer programs; authorizing the center to 71
set maximum grant amounts; requiring grant recipients 72
to submit a report to the center within a specified 73
timeframe; creating s. 1004.551, F.S.; creating the 74
University of Florida Center for Autism and 75
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Neurodevelopment; providing duties of the center; 76
requiring the center to develop an autism micro -77
credential; providing requirements for the micro -78
credential; requiring the center to publish on its 79
website an annual report; prohibiting the host state 80
university from charging certain fees to the center; 81
amending s. 1012.582, F.S.; requiring the Commissioner 82
of Education to review specified curricula by a 83
specified date; requiring the commissioner to report 84
findings and recommendations to the Legislature; 85
amending s. 1012.585, F.S.; revising the process for 86
the renewal of professional certificates to include 87
training in the knowledge and skills required to 88
support students with autism; providing an effective 89
date. 90
91
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 92
93
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 94
381.9855, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 95
381.9855 Dr. and Mrs. Alfonse and Kathleen Cinotti Health 96
Care Screening and Services Grant Program; portal. — 97
(1)(a) The Department of Health shall implement the Dr. 98
and Mrs. Alfonse and K athleen Cinotti Health Care Screening and 99
Services Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to expand 100
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access to no-cost health care screenings or services for the 101
general public facilitated by nonprofit entities. The department 102
shall do all of the foll owing: 103
1. Publicize the availability of funds and enlist the aid 104
of county health departments for outreach to potential 105
applicants at the local level. 106
2. Establish an application process for submitting a grant 107
proposal and criteria an applicant must me et to be eligible. 108
3. Develop guidelines a grant recipient must follow for 109
the expenditure of grant funds and uniform data reporting 110
requirements for the purpose of evaluating the performance of 111
grant recipients. The guidelines must require grant funds t o be 112
spent on screenings, including referrals for treatment, if 113
appropriate, or related services for one or more of the 114
following: 115
a. Hearing. 116
b. Vision. 117
c. Dental. 118
d. Cancer. 119
e. Diabetes. 120
f. Renal disease. 121
g. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 122
h. Hypertension. 123
i. Heart disease. 124
j. Stroke. 125
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k. Scoliosis. 126
l. Autism. 127
Section 2. Section 391.302, Florida Statutes, is amended 128
to read: 129
391.302 Definitions. —As used in ss. 391.301-391.3081 ss. 130
391.301-391.308, the term: 131
(1) "Department" means the Department of Health. 132
(2) "Developmental delay" means a condition, identified 133
and measured through appropriate instruments and procedures, 134
which may delay physical, cognitive, communication, social or 135
emotional, or adaptive development . 136
(3)(2) "Developmental disability" means a condition, 137
identified and measured through appropriate instruments and 138
procedures, which may impair physical, cognitive, communication, 139
social or emotional, or adaptive development. 140
(4)(3) "Developmental intervention" or "early 141
intervention" means individual and group therapies and services 142
needed to enhance both the infant's or toddler's growth and 143
development and family functioning. The term includes 144
habilitative services and assistive technology devices, 145
rehabilitative services and assistive technology devices, and 146
parent support and training. 147
(5)(4) "Habilitative services and devices" means health 148
care services and assistive technology devices that help a child 149
maintain, learn, or improve skills and funct ioning for daily 150
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living. 151
(6)(5) Except as otherwise defined for the purposes of s. 152
391.3081, "infant or toddler" or "child" means a child from 153
birth until the child's third birthday. 154
(7)(6) "Local program office" means an office that 155
administers the Early Steps Program within a municipality, 156
county, or region. 157
(8)(7) "Rehabilitative services and devices" means 158
restorative and remedial services that maintain or enhance the 159
current level of functioning of a child if there is a 160
possibility of improvement or reversal of impairment. 161
Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section 162
391.308, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 163
391.308 Early Steps Program. —The department shall 164
implement and administer part C of the federal Individuals with 165
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which shall be known as the 166
"Early Steps Program." 167
(2) DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT. —The department shall: 168
(a) Annually prepare a grant application to the United 169
States Department of Education for funding early intervention 170
services for infants and toddlers with disabilities , from birth 171
through 36 months of age, and their families pursuant to part C 172
of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 173
Section 4. Section 391.3081, Florida Statutes, is created 174
to read: 175
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391.3081 Early Steps Extended Option. — 176
(1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT. —The Legislature recognizes that 177
continuity of care promotes positive outcomes in the learning 178
and development of infants, toddlers, and children. It is the 179
intent of the Legislature to offer families of children with 180
developmental delays or disabilities a choice for such children 181
to continue services in the Early Steps Program beyond the age 182
of 3 years old. 183
(2) PURPOSE.— 184
(a) The purpose of the Early Steps Extended Option is to 185
continue enrollment in the Early Steps Program for those 186
children who are eligible. Therefore, the provisions of s. 187
391.308 are maintained and incorporated in the Early Steps 188
Extended Option. 189
(b) For the purposes of this section, "child" means a 190
child from birth until the beginning of the school year 191
following the child's fourth birthday, as provided in 34 C.F.R. 192
s. 303.211(a)(2)(ii). 193
(3) DUTIES.— 194
(a) The department shall: 195
1. Submit its application for federal approval to extend 196
eligibility for services under part C of the federal Individuals 197
with Disabilities Education Act no later than July 1, 2026. 198
2. Jointly with the Department of Education, develop or 199
amend any rule, policy, procedure, written agreement, or 200
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contract necessary to implement the Early Steps Extended Option 201
in accordance with state law and part C of the federal 202
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 203
3. Seek additional federal grant funds, as available, for 204
the implementation of the Early Steps Extended Option, including 205
a state incentive grant. However, the department may implement 206
the Early Steps Extended Option regardless of the availability 207
or acceptance of supplemental federal grant funds, contingent 208
upon the appropriation of state funds. 209
(b) As part of the individualized family support plan for 210
each child served under the Early Steps Extended Option, a local 211
program office shall include steps for a child to transition to 212
part B of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education 213
Act or other future services by the beginning of the school year 214
following the child's fourth birthday. 215
(4) ELIGIBILITY.—The department must apply the following 216
eligibility criteria if specific funding is provided in the 217
General Appropriations Act: 218
(a) All of the following criteria must be met for a child 219
to continue receiving Early Steps Program services under the 220
Early Steps Extended Option: 221
1. The child must be determined eligible for early 222
intervention services through the Early Steps Program at least 223
45 days before the child's third birthday. 224
2. The child must be determined eligible for services 225
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under part B of the federal Individuals with Disabilities 226
Education Act. 227
3. Before the child's third birthday, the family must 228
choose to continue services through the Early Steps Extended 229
Option, which shall include an educational component to promote 230
school readiness and incorporate pre -literacy, language, and 231
numeracy skills. 232
(b) A child becomes ineligible to reenter the Early Steps 233
Extended Option upon exiting the program. If a family chooses to 234
exit the Early Steps Extended Option before the beginning of the 235
school year following the child's fourth birthday, the local 236
school district, in conjunction with the local program office, 237
must notify the child's parent or legal guardian of his or her 238
rights under part B of the federal Individuals with Disabilities 239
Education Act. 240
(c) A child may not receive services under part B of the 241
federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act while 242
receiving services through the Early Steps Extended Option. 243
(d) A child may not receive a state scholarship under s. 244
1002.394 while receiving services through the Early Steps 245
Extended Option. 246
(5) TRANSITION TO EDUCATION. — 247
(a) At least 90 days before the beginning of the school 248
year following the fourth birthd ay of a child enrolled in the 249
Early Steps Extended Option, the local program office shall 250
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initiate transition planning to ensure the child's successful 251
transition from the Early Steps Extended Option to a school 252
district program under part B of the federal Individuals with 253
Disabilities Education Act or to another program as part of an 254
individual family support plan. Specifically, the local program 255
office shall: 256
1. Notify the Department of Education and the local school 257
district in which the child resides that the eligible child is 258
exiting the Early Steps Extended Option, unless the child's 259
parent or legal guardian has opted out of such notification; and 260
2. Upon approval by the child's parent or legal guardian, 261
convene a transition conference that include s participation of a 262
local school district representative and the parent or legal 263
guardian to discuss options for and availability of services. 264
(b) The local program office, in conjunction with the 265
local school district, shall modify a child's individual family 266
support plan, or, if applicable, the local school district shall 267
develop or review an individual education plan for the child 268
pursuant to ss. 1003.57, 1003.571, and 1003.5715 which 269
identifies special education or related services that the child 270
will receive and the providers or agencies that will provide 271
such services. 272
(c) If a child is found to be no longer eligible for part 273
B of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 274
during the review of an individual education plan, the local 275
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program office and the local school district must provide the 276
child's parent or legal guardian with written information on 277
other available services or community resources. 278
(6) ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTING. —The department shall include 279
a performance assessment of the Early Steps Extended Option in 280
the annual report specified in s. 391.308(5). 281
(a) The assessment must include: 282
1. The number and percentage of children eligible under 283
part B of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education 284
Act who receive services through the Early Steps Extended 285
Option. 286
2. The number and percentage of children determined 287
eligible to receive services under part B of the federal 288
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 289
3. The number and percentage of children determi ned 290
ineligible to receive services under part B of the federal 291
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 292
(b) The Department of Education shall provide to the 293
department data necessary for the evaluation of the Early Steps 294
Program and the Early Steps E xtended Option, including, but not 295
limited to, the number and percentage of children who are 296
referred by either program and who elect to receive services 297
under part B of the federal Individuals with Disabilities 298
Education Act. 299
Section 5. Section 1003.5 711, Florida Statutes, is created 300
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to read: 301
1003.5711 Startup grant for autism charter schools. — 302
(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT. — 303
(a) The Legislature finds that students identified as 304
having autism spectrum disorder may require highly specialized 305
educational environments and resources to achieve their full 306
potential. 307
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to support the 308
creation of schools exclusively serving this population by 309
providing startup funding to offset the costs of developing and 310
implementing these specialized programs. 311
(2) ADMINISTRATION. — 312
(a) The University of Florida Center for Autism and 313
Neurodevelopment shall oversee the application, evaluation, and 314
distribution of grants under this section. 315
(b) The center shall develop guidelines for grant 316
administration, including: 317
1. Application procedures and deadlines. 318
2. Criteria for program eligibility and funding 319
priorities. 320
3. Reporting and accountability standards for grant 321
recipients. 322
4. A preapproval process to assist applicants with 323
planning in the charter school application process under s. 324
1002.33(6) and (7). 325
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(3) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND USE OF FUNDS. — 326
(a) The guidelines developed by the center must, at a 327
minimum, require applicants, before approval for a sta rtup 328
grant, to: 329
1. Demonstrate intent, in accordance with guidelines 330
developed by the center, to establish or expand a charter school 331
pursuant to s. 1002.33, or a laboratory school under s. 1002.32, 332
to serve exclusively students diagnosed with autism spe ctrum 333
disorder and classified as exceptional students under s. 334
1003.01(9). 335
2. Provide evidence of community need and stakeholder 336
support, which may include letters of intent to enroll from 337
families or organizations. 338
3. Submit a detailed plan outlining: 339
a. Instructional methods and proposed support services, 340
including evidence-based practices for students with autism. 341
b. Family engagement and strategies for coordinating 342
necessary services for students outside of school hours and as 343
students transition to adulthood. 344
c. Anticipated startup costs and a budget for use of grant 345
funds. 346
d. Strategies for leveraging other federal and state 347
funding. 348
4. Provide evidence of financial stability and 349
programmatic expertise. 350
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5. Attest to compliance with stat e and federal laws. 351
(b) Grants may be used for the following purposes: 352
1. Facility acquisition, renovation, or modification. 353
2. Purchase or development of specialized instructional 354
materials, curriculum, assistive technology, and adaptive 355
equipment. 356
3. Recruitment, salaries, and training of staff 357
experienced in working with students with autism and significant 358
cognitive disabilities. 359
4. Student transportation. 360
5. Ancillary equipment related to student safety. 361
(4) FUNDING AND GRANT AMOUNTS. — 362
(a) The grant is subject to legislative appropriation. 363
(b) The center shall annually determine the maximum grant 364
amount for each school on the basis of the annual appropriation 365
in relation to projected applications. 366
(c) The center may prioritize grant s for schools in the 367
following priority: 368
1. Programs serving rural and underserved areas. 369
2. Programs serving other underserved areas. 370
3. Programs with demonstrable success in establishing and 371
operating a charter school exclusively for students with autism 372
and related disorders. 373
4. Programs that use existing facilities. 374
(d) An applicant may not receive funds until the applicant 375
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has received approval from a sponsoring entity to operate a 376
charter school or modify an existing charter pursuant to s. 377
1002.33(6) and (7), or has established a school advisory body 378
for a laboratory school in accordance with s. 1002.32(8). 379
(5) REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY. —Grant recipients must 380
submit an annual report to the Center for Autism and 381
Neurodevelopment detailing : 382
(a) How grant funds were expended. 383
(b) Enrollment and program outcomes following the first 384
complete school year of operation. 385
(c) Challenges encountered and recommendations for 386
improvement. 387
Section 6. Section 1003.5712, Florida Statutes, is cre ated 388
to read: 389
1003.5712 Specialized summer programs for children with 390
autism and related disorders. — 391
(1) PURPOSE AND INTENT. — 392
(a) The Legislature finds that many children with autism 393
spectrum disorder face challenges during the summer months due 394
to limited access to extended school year programs, summer 395
school, and traditional summer camps that can accommodate their 396
needs. 397
(b) The purpose of this section is to support specialized 398
summer programs that provide structured, supportive environments 399
for these children, ensuring continuity of care, skill 400
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development, and social engagement. 401
(2) ADMINISTRATION AND GRANTS. — 402
(a) The University of Florida Center for Autism and 403
Neurodevelopment shall administer a grant program to fund 404
specialized summer progr ams for children with autism spectrum 405
disorder who have significant emotional or behavior disorders or 406
cognitive disabilities. 407
(b) Grants may be awarded annually to eligible entities, 408
subject to available appropriations. 409
(c) The center shall develop an d publish guidelines for 410
grant applications, including criteria for program eligibility, 411
use of funds, and reporting requirements. 412
(d) The center shall provide technical assistance to grant 413
applicants and recipients. 414
(3) PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY AND STANDAR DS.—The guidelines 415
developed by the center must, at a minimum, require programs to: 416
(a) Serve children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder 417
for whom placement in a summer camp that is not equipped to 418
serve such children is inappropriate. 419
(b) Provide a structured schedule of activities that may 420
include, but are not limited to: 421
1. Behavioral and social skill development. 422
2. Recreational and leisure activities tailored to 423
individual needs. 424
3. Therapy-based support, including speech, occupational, 425
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or behavioral therapies, when appropriate. 426
4. Family support and training workshops. 427
(c) Employ staff with relevant experience or training in 428
working with children with autism and severe emotional, 429
behavioral, or cognitive disorders. 430
(d) Maintain a safe and inclusive environment, with 431
appropriate staff-to-participant ratios. 432
(e) Operate in compliance with all applicable state and 433
federal laws, including health and safety regulations. 434
(f) Provide a full-day program for at least 4 weeks. 435
(g) Leverage other available federal or state funding 436
sources, including Medicaid waivers, Individuals with 437
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and other federal funding, or 438
private contributions, to supplement state grants. 439
(4) FUNDING.— 440
(a) Grants are subject to legislative appropriation. 441
(b) Grants may be used for any of the following purposes: 442
1. Facility costs. 443
2. Staff salaries and training. 444
3. Curriculum or other instructional or activity costs. 445
4. Property and liability insurance. 446
5. Equipment purchase or rental. 447
6. Transportation for camp participants. 448
(c) The center shall prioritize awarding grants to 449
programs that: 450
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1. Serve underserved or rural areas where specialized 451
summer programs are unavailable. 452
2. Provide comprehensive support services, including 453
family involvement and community integration. 454
(d) The center may set maximum grant amounts and require 455
matching funds contributions from grant recipients, dependent 456
upon available funds and projected participation. 457
(e) In addition to criteria determined by the center, 458
grant amounts may vary based on the services provided and the 459
duration of the program. 460
(5) REPORTING AND OVERSIGHT. —Grant recipients must submit 461
a report to the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment within 45 462
days after the conclusion of the summer program detailing: 463
(a) Program enrollment and participation. 464
(b) Use of grant funds. 465
(c) Outcomes related to participant engagement, skill -466
building, and family satisfaction. 467
Section 7. Section 1004.551, Florida St atutes, is created 468
to read: 469
1004.551 University of Florida Center for Autism and 470
Neurodevelopment.—There is created at the University of Florida 471
the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment. 472
(1) The center shall: 473
(a) Collaborate with state and local ag encies that provide 474
early intervention, educational, medical, employment, financial, 475
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and daily living services. The center shall also collaborate 476
with other entities that provide autism research and services, 477
including, but not limited to, the Florida Stat e University 478
Autism Institute, each Center for Autism and Related 479
Disabilities (CARD), the Florida Diagnostic and Learning 480
Resources System (FDLRS), the Agency for Persons with 481
Disabilities, the Department of Health, the Department of 482
Education, and the De partment of Children and Families. 483
(b) Coordinate information and resources related to 484
research, best practices, training, and public awareness to 485
better support families of children with autism. 486
(c) Develop strategies to promote public awareness of th e 487
signs of autism, the importance of early screening, and 488
interventions and supports available to families. The center 489
shall assist in the assignment of a toll -free number for autism 490
support. 491
(d) Catalog and distribute best practices related to 492
screening tools, diagnosis, and interventions. 493
(e) Review and approve applications for specialized summer 494
programs for children with autism pursuant to s. 1003.5712. The 495
center shall act as the fiscal agent for grant funds and develop 496
minimum requirements for the creation of specialized summer 497
programs. 498
(f) Develop an autism micro -credential to provide 499
specialized training in supporting students with autism. 500
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1. The micro-credential must be stackable with the autism 501
endorsement and be available to: 502
a. Instructional personnel as defined in s. 1012.01(2); 503
b. Prekindergarten instructors as specified in ss. 504
1002.55, 1002.61, and 1002.63; and 505
c. Child care personnel as defined in ss. 402.302(3) and 506
1002.88(1)(e). 507
2. The micro-credential must require participants to 508
demonstrate competency in: 509
a. Identifying behaviors associated with autism. 510
b. Supporting the learning environment in both general and 511
specialized classroom settings. 512
c. Promoting the use of assistive technologies. 513
d. Applying evidence-based instructional practices. 514
3. The micro-credential must: 515
a. Be provided at no cost to eligible participants. 516
b. Be competency-based, allowing participants to complete 517
the credentialing process either in person or online. 518
c. Permit participa nts to receive the micro -credential at 519
any time during training once competency is demonstrated. 520
4. Individuals eligible under subparagraph 1. who complete 521
the micro-credential are eligible for a one -time stipend, as 522
determined in the General Appropriati ons Act. The center shall 523
administer stipends for the micro -credential. 524
(g) Develop strategies to increase the workforce qualified 525
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to provide autism-related services to children and adults in a 526
public or private setting. 527
(h) Develop and catalog profess ional learning activities 528
for health care, child welfare, and instructional personnel. 529
(i) Administer startup grants for autism charter schools 530
pursuant to s. 1003.5711 and provide technical assistance to 531
grant applicants and recipients. The center shall also review 532
access to federal funding sources for establishing charter 533
schools for students with autism and include in its annual 534
report recommendations for improving practical access. 535
(j) Catalog best practices for screening, referral, and 536
diagnosis; access to therapy services; and other licensed 537
practitioner services using private and public insurance, to 538
include access to services in schools. 539
(k) Beginning August 1, 2026, and each August 1 540
thereafter, publish on its website a report detailing 541
activities, expenditures, and outcomes from the previous year. 542
The report must include the grants administered by the center 543
and recommendations for improvement. 544
(2) The host state university may not charge any indirect 545
administrative fees to the center. 546
Section 8. Subsection (5) is added to section 1012.582, 547
Florida Statutes, to read: 548
1012.582 Continuing education and inservice training for 549
teaching students with developmental and emotional or behavioral 550
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disabilities.— 551
(5) The commissioner shall review the curricula in 552
continuing education or inservice education of instructional 553
personnel based on recommendations required under this section. 554
No later than December 1, 2025, the commissioner shall report to 555
the President of the Senate and the Speaker of t he House of 556
Representatives on findings and recommendations for updates to 557
instruction. 558
Section 9. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section 559
1012.585, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 560
1012.585 Process for renewal of professional 561
certificates.— 562
(3) For the renewal of a professional certificate, the 563
following requirements must be met: 564
(a) The applicant must earn a minimum of 6 college credits 565
or 120 inservice points or a combination thereof. For each area 566
of specialization to be retained on a certificate, the applicant 567
must earn at least 3 of the required credit hours or equivalent 568
inservice points in the specialization area. Education in 569
"clinical educator" training pursuant to s. 1004.04(5)(b); 570
participation in mentorship and induction activi ties, including 571
as a mentor, pursuant to s. 1012.56(8)(a); credits or points 572
that provide training in the knowledge and skills required to 573
support students with autism; and credits or points that provide 574
training in the area of scientifically researched, k nowledge-575
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based reading literacy grounded in the science of reading, 576
including explicit, systematic, and sequential approaches to 577
reading instruction, developing phonemic awareness, and 578
implementing multisensory intervention strategies, and 579
computational skills acquisition, exceptional student education, 580
normal child development, and the disorders of development may 581
be applied toward any specialization area. Credits or points 582
that provide training in the areas of drug abuse, child abuse 583
and neglect, strategi es in teaching students having limited 584
proficiency in English, or dropout prevention, or training in 585
areas identified in the educational goals and performance 586
standards adopted pursuant to ss. 1000.03(5) and 1008.345 may be 587
applied toward any specializatio n area, except specialization 588
areas identified by State Board of Education rule that include 589
reading instruction or intervention for any students in 590
kindergarten through grade 6. Each district school board shall 591
include in its inservice master plan the abi lity for teachers to 592
receive inservice points for supporting students in 593
extracurricular career and technical education activities, such 594
as career and technical student organization activities outside 595
of regular school hours and training related to supervi sing 596
students participating in a career and technical student 597
organization. Credits or points earned through approved summer 598
institutes may be applied toward the fulfillment of these 599
requirements. Inservice points may also be earned by 600
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participation in pro fessional growth components approved by the 601
State Board of Education and specified pursuant to s. 1012.98 in 602
the district's approved master plan for inservice educational 603
training; however, such points may not be used to satisfy the 604
specialization requirem ents of this paragraph. 605
Section 10. This act shall take effect upon becoming a 606
law. 607