moving to de with sp ed kid (Dover, Lewes: home, school districts)

[jharris213]

We are considering a move to Lewes DE. From fridgid upstate NY. Done with harsh winters!!!
My oldest son has OT for fine motor skills in Kindergarten. Yongest is in preschool and has one more yr of pre. We like our current schools and they give my older son great attention. What elementary schools are good with good special ed programs? What is a good area to raise kids out there in Lewes? (Town home communities in the 350-400K range? )THanks for any info!!

[kengel]

jharris213 - I would recommend contacting the schools directly and discussing your specific needs. Like any area, some schools are better equipped than others. Ask them for a parent referral you can ask questions. Good luck.

[maryCh]

We moved to central Kent County from NC this past September FOR schools for our now 13 yr old son with autism. As kengel recommended, contact the school districts directly and discuss your child's needs with the special ed coordinator. One thing I found very different (and likeable, to me) is the mapping of school districts. Where we moved from, the board of ed was on a county level, with several schools within the service area. Here, the school district is essentially the high school district and the underlying schools that feed the HS (meaning the elem and middle schools). I for one really like the way DE does that.

We researched the entire state (as well as about 10 other states) before choosing our current destination. The searching was a huge test in my patience, as I knew our son was losing time in the process. Feel free to send me a private message if you have other questions. I don't have a ton of hands on experience, but I'll be glad to share search tips, etc.

Mary

[arvinlilly]

Dear Mary,

I live in WnY and wants to move out d/t weather. I have a 7 yr old with autism. What is the advice about moving to another state as far as services are concerned.

[maryCh]

The biggest thing we found moving from one state to another is funding for any "special" services, outside of public school, varies GREATLY from state to state. Our son, in NC, received CAP Medicaid services (essentially, 1:1) from the time he was about 4 yrs old. This was in addition to what he received through the school system. I have picked up the application, but have not had the time to complete and return with all the supporting documentation for his diagnosis.

I find that very frustrating as a parent; even though the services are funded through a federal program (Medicaid), the individual states set up their criteria for qualification and in many states the waiting list is years long. In fact, had we stayed in NC, our son would have received these services until he turned 18, and then rolled right into another Medicaid program for adults with disabilities. Believe me, that was one piece of paper I did NOT want to sign off on when we moved from NC. The reason being, if we move back to NC, he goes back on a waiting list! He just turned 13, and now in NC the estimated time for a child's number to come up is about 4-5 years. Do the math... our son would be out in the cold for 1:1 services.

I do intend to complete the Medicaid paperwork for DE, and will post as I learn the system. I will say his needs are being addressed head on in the public school, where in our old school district in NC, we were put off year after year. I honestly believe there is a totally different mindset here, which so far I am really impressed with. Therefore, I am not nearly as anxious about "losing" the 1:1 services, as he is progressing quite nicely without them right now.

arvinlilly, feel free to e-mail me privately; I will be glad to help you all I can. I can get on a soapbox sometimes when "speaking" about autism; we've been riding this ride for quite a while now. Or send me a private message; we can contact each other outside the forum.

Mary

[susanpomerantz]

Lewes has a school called the Consortium (??sp)
Call the Cape Henlopen School district for information (look online for number). I know that they work with children with different disabilities and it has a great reputation. I live nearby.

[maryCh]

I have heard a lot about the Consortium in Lewes... in fact we waivered between Kent and Sussex County when considering our move to DE. Depending on the growth and development in Kent, we may end up in Sussex in the next few years. The program has an excellent reputation outside of DE, which speaks volumes to parents looking for a good school for children with learning differences, as our son has.

Ultimately, we played it safe and moved close to Dover. I wanted to be closer to the capital to be able to find out what is going on at the state governmental level. So far, we're glad we chose where we did.

Thanks, susan, for putting in a good word for the program.

Mary