Ft. Lauderdale Area & Special Education (Davie, Boca Raton: pre-schools, to live in, assessment)

[JenFlores]

I hope someone can help. We are moving from Puerto Rico to the Ft. Lauderdale Area. We are open to advice but our first priority are the schools. We have a 3-year-old with some developmental delays. Not severe, but I anticipate he will need some help as he moves forward with his education, so we want to live in an area that will be able to accomodate him the best.

Does anyone have any experience/opinions with the Special Education Systems in the Ft. Lauderdale area? Any specific schools or areas where the experience has been bad or good?

We are currently considering Weston, Pembrook Pines, Boca Raton, Davie... but would consider other areas.

I am also working on understanding the qualification process for the special education pre-schools in the area so any advice or perspective on that would be great as well.

Thankyou!!

[happy2bnsofla]

No matter where you live in Broward you will need to have an IEP done (even if he's 3 since he will have aged out of the federal Early Steps program). They will do a developmental assessment through the school board then you may be assigned to a PLACE program (for preschoolers - it is speech driven, but they do have other disciplines, i.e. physical, etc. if you qualify). We're in Parkland and there is a PLACE program at PineTrails. My son qualified for that, but we opted to do private therapy instead because of the nature of his disability.

I have heard wonderful things about the PLACE program - and I believe many elementary schools across Broward have them.