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Our family is also very interested in moving to the Charlotte area. I have been looking into Mint Hill and Matthews. The schools seem to be pretty good there (Butler H.S.). I have a 15 year old (10th Grade) a 12 year old (6th Grade) and a 9 year old (Special Education for Autism). We currently live on Long Island in Merrick, NY. We have excellent schools and also have excellent services for our autistic son as well. I have looked into the exceptional children's program and it seems pretty good. Can anyone confirm if this is the right place to move not only for our typical boys, but especially our little guy who needs so much more.
We are looking to move by the end of the summer so they can start fresh in September. There is so much to consider and since it is such a big move for us, we want to make sure to do it right. Thanks for any suggestions or advice. It's best to hear from people already living there... thanks again!
I don't have personal experience but I know one family who moved here from NY about 1.5 years ago. They are now selling their home and moving back because their two mildly autistic (sorry, i don't know the exact diagnosis) children are not being well served in the Union County district. Sorry I don't know any further details but the mom did say that her children had a much better school experience in NY because they were mainstreamed; here they were segregated and they failed to thrive. This was in the Indian Trail area. Good luck, and please, just be sure to really check things out before you make the move, especially since it sounds like your special needs child is in a good situation where you are now.
I am not in the Charlotte area and cannot comment on what services the schools there have to offer for autistic children but I would be hesitant to give up services in Long Island to go anywhere. From what I understand, Long Island is where you want to be if you need services for an autistic child. I have a friend with an autistic child possibly looking into moving to the Long Island area due to services offered there. I suggest doing a lot of research before moving anywhere with special needs children. All the best to you and your family.
I work in Charlotte schools and let me ask you this...why are you wanting to move here?
As far as services go, most people from up North complain that NC does not offer the amount of services that they once had. Depending on the severity of the Autism, your child could attend school in a general ed. class receiving occasional support from an EC teacher (inclusion model) or a separate class w/in a school (self-contained classroom) and they don't typically provide a one-on-one aide for a child. There is also a school exclusively for children with severe disabilities called Metro School (it is a public CMS school). The general push in CMS is inclusion, so be prepared, depending on your child, for that to be strongly encouraged.
Other services such as speech, OT, PT are generally once or twice a week for 20-40 mins. These services are provided on an educational model---helping a student function within their classroom environment. A child may not qualify for these services if it is NOT deemed educationally relevant.
Some parents are thrilled with the services here, some not...CMS is a large school system so what you might get @ one school may not be replicated somewhere else, but the general area you are looking at seems to have schools that are "good" with kids w/disabilities.
Thank you for your replys. As to the reason for the move... it is just so expensive on Long Island. Yes, we have really great services for our son, but it is so hard to get by even though my husband makes a very good living and I work as well. The taxes are brutal, we pay just over $12,000 a year and it seems to go up every year. We also want a little more mild winter temperature. Our son thrives when he is able to go out and play. He also loves to swim and our short summer season here just doesn't cut it.
I know that realistically we won't get exactly the same services, our concern is that he won't regress since all the hard work has paid off. He went from being non verbal to emerging language by 4 1/2. He now has a huge vocabulary and improves daily. He has made strides and we just want to make sure he continues to reach his fullest potential.
Anything else you all could think of is much appreciated.
I really don't mean to sound mean or judgmental, but would it not be worth it to stay where you are, since your son has made such great progress? Sure, you can swim a little longer around here, I guess. But not by much. The pools are still really chilly for much of June and they close as soon as the schools open in late August. Our taxes are lower, too, I guess, but what is the value of the great services your son receives? That's why we pay taxes, I think. It's hard to move kids who are established in high school and middle school, too. You have to do what is right for your family but sometimes the status quo can be the best quality of life. The grass is not always greener down here. Good luck to you.
Your decision, of course, but if you do decide to move (and I think NC is great--I'm a native) please don't complain about lack of services...I'm not saying that you will, but I get so tired of hearing..."Well, back in NY we had this & that" and my silent response is, "Well if it is so great, then go back!"
I think most of the students who are EC are well-served, but again, it varies depending on the school/teacher and you are assigned a school, typically closest to your home.
Again, GL and I hope you are able to make the best decision for your family.
We moved here to because we love Charlotte, still do, and California was very expensive too. However, the pain that I have endured watching my son suffer here while administration tries to catch up and give the kids what they need, is heartbreaking. We are now looking to return to California (we are not native Californians we just happened to have been there for a few years while my son was diagnosed) in the county we were in we didn't have to fight so hard for some of the smallest dignified services. We're in Union County - where people are often told to go - but, if you know better services, than you won't be able to ignore what's missing. The savings are not worth it, in my opinion... Unless of course you want to homeschool...
Good Luck
Once again, thanks for all the great input. We are so unsure of what we will be doing. We do know that we have excellent services and of course all three of our kids are our first priority. That is why we are thoroughly investigating everything before we make a decision one way or another. When we do make that decision, it will be because we are 100% sure it is in the best interests of our whole family. If we see that it will not be all we have here, we will most likely stay with no regrets. Thanks again.
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Relocating
