North Suburban Schools-- Special Ed? (Chicago, Naperville: houses, transfer, to buy)

[cohdane]

I saw someone else had luck inquiring about special ed in the western suburbs, so here goes...

Anyone have any experience or word-on-the-street about special ed services in the northern 'burbs? We're looking for commutable distance to Abbott and downtown. (So our limits are south to Wilmette, north to Lake Forest, west to about Lincolnshire.)

Our son is 4 and has a complex medical history. He's extremely bright (already reading full paragraphs), but his motor skills are severely delayed. Needs an awesome OT program, speech and physical therapy. Schools are going to be the single most important factor in our decision to buy.

Any help?

THANKS!!

[amyrachel]

Thats a great question. I answered the Naperville question but actually just asked the same question buried in a northshore commute question.

I am looking forward to seeing the replies. I hope its good news.

[dbaMommy]

Hi! I was the poster about special ed. in the western suburbs and wanted to share a tip with you which you may find valuable in your data collection process.

We're in the process of relocating to the western suburbs from Southern California. We just retained a realtor who specializes in the western suburbs in Chicagoland who is researching locally for us while we're still here in CA.

Our realtor has collected data for us from 5 different school districts so far specifically focusing on special education services within each district and while it does not include personal accounts within each district, the information has been valuable. A lot can be interpreted by the amount and type of data supplied by each district. Some even provided PTA information specifically for special ed. (here in my area in CA we do not have a seperate PTAs for families with special needs children).

Our realtor also has access to other families with special needs children whom they represented in the past and they are contacting them to get recommendations for us based on their experiences.

If you're working with a realtor, I'd say give that a try.

[windycitygirl]

I remember hearing Lake County schools have wonderful programs for kids with special needs. My friend's nephew received awesome services by the time he was 3!

I wouldn't rely totally on a realtor's advice--they can crunch numbers and sell houses, but they typically don't have hands-on experience with special needs kids. I would google the county, get phone numbers, talk to someone in charge and arrange a visit.

Good luck.

[dbaMommy]

Originally Posted by windycitygirl

I remember hearing Lake County schools have wonderful programs for kids with special needs. My friend's nephew received awesome services by the time he was 3!

I wouldn't rely totally on a realtor's advice--they can crunch numbers and sell houses, but they typically don't have hands-on experience with special needs kids. I would google the county, get phone numbers, talk to someone in charge and arrange a visit.

Good luck.

Quite right, I don't know anyone that would rely solely on a realtor's info.

The information is a starting point. I received 5 pages of information on each special ed. program within each district AND contact names and numbers for administrators as well as special ed. PTA information with contact info for individuals who have children with special needs in each district. The information also had high level info as to the structure of special ed services within each district. This information is great to know so (a) you know who to call and (b) when you make the calls at least you have a general idea when speaking with administrators as to what the struture there is. Receiving the PTA info is valuale because then you're able to contact actual parents of special needs children within the district who have experience.

My realtor is merely collecting the intial data since they know who to call locally. You have to start somewhere. For me, this is a great starting point and has proved to be a valuable resource.

All of the people I know , including myself, who have a child with special needs know what information is important to rely on.

[kjhusker]

I am also anxiously waiting to hear some of the replies. There is a very good possibility that my husband will be transferred to Abbott Park as well, so we are looking for the same thing you are. I have a son who will be 2 in March and has cerebral palsy. He has significant gross and fine motor delays, and moderate speech delays. I know in Ohio - and I am assuming it is the same for Illinois - services and funding can differ greatly by county. Does anyone know how the special ed is in Lake County? Better or worse than surrounding counties? Specifically within Lake County, what are the programs like in Antioch, Grayslake and Fox Lake? THANKS!!!

[cricket00]

wilmette. definitely. i taught there and have first-hand experience with their sped programs. they are incredible!

[kmwheel]

I don't have experience with any other SPED programs, but I feel that Lake County is great for kids with special needs. My daughter has been in the early childhood program at Hillcrest (in Antioch) for two years, and I have nothing but good things to say about the teachers there. They are so great about communicating with me, and they are always offering extra classes and help with things like IEPs. My friends (and their kids) who have had more interaction with SEDOL also seem to be pleased with their experiences. Depending on your child's needs, they might be transported to a classroom outside of the district where you live. That might be the only downside to the system. But, like I said, I don't have any experience outside of Lake County, so that might be the norm.

The Special Education District of Lake County

Best of luck in your search for a great school district!

[Paige65]

I can't answer your question personally, but here's a link to the NSSED, which serves Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Deerfield and Northbrook.

http://www.nssd112.org/

I hope it helps a bit.

[greenerpastures]

We moved here for the school system for our daughter, IQ48, received services through NSSED for 12 years. Contact NSSED for services in all/any of the towns on the north shore, from Wilmette to Lake Bluff and west to Glenview. NSSED is a consortium financed by each school district. They staff the sped programs in all these towns. Grays Lake belongs to a different sped consortium. Very cooperative in general.
Your son sounds like he needs to be in the Physically Handicapped Program (PH), not mentally handicapped.