need advise relocating to FL with special needs child (Jacksonville: rentals, how much)

[Adii]

Hi Dear Parents,

We are young couple in 30s with a 6 yr old son and currently live in NY westchester county. My son has ASD (I would say high funtioning) and he is mainstreamed and currently receives special instruction 2 hrs/day, speech (pull out) 2/week, and PT 2 times a week. We are happy with his services but not happy with everything else. I have 1 hr drive to work because (all NY city schools are not as great, plus the crime), I pay skyhigh rent (3600/month), and spend 5 out 12 months indoors due to harsh weather (valuable time lost). We have always wanted to move to Florida because of its weather, outdoor activities, cost frendliness, but have been held in NY for the past 4 yrs due to concerns with our son progress.
I have been following this forum for 3 yrs and have mostly noted disappointing reviews regarding how ASD kids are cared for, but also have read good reviews about areas sorrounding Tampa and St John FL. I am a physician and have never been to any place other than Orlando, FL. I would really appreciate if you can share your experience.

Thank you and God Bless.

[Robyn55]

Florida is a *very* big state. When it comes to relocating - I think the first consideration for a young working couple has to be jobs. Especially when it comes to a professional - like a physician. Doesn't help if you find a good school but can't find a good job. The Jacksonville metro area has a lot of medical centers/employers - but I don't know anything about who might be hiring - and in what kinds of specialties. Note that this metro area is huge - and that any available jobs might not be anywhere close to schools that you find acceptable/desirable. So - even if you find a good job and a good school - you could be looking at a commute that is every bit as long (or longer) than your current commute.

Also - different parts of the state - and particular communities within general areas - can cost more or less. Not everything in Florida is cheap/inexpensive. So you may or may not wind up saving any money. Note that rentals - especially nicer higher end rentals - aren't especially common here - especially in St. Johns County. Most people tend to own their houses.

No question the weather here is better than up north. Although - when it comes to north Florida - our winters are (much) cooler than those in south Florida (summers are about the same). Robyn

[Adii]

Thank you Robyn. Our plan is to probably move at the end of 2016 or next year, therefore we started doing this homework early. I am willing to take pay cut if it comes down to living in an area where my son can receive the right services. Really appreciate your time and advise.

[SmtSF]

In terms of special education, even the best of Florida pales in comparison to New York. There is not the same level of resources, funding, professionals, experience or depth of knowledge. The general consensus among special education parents is that the FL public schools do their best to push kids out into private schools b/c the private schools are better equipped and experienced. Florida has a scholarship called the McKay. After your child has been enrolled in a public school for one year, your child can transfer to a private school and McKay funding will pay all or a portion of the tuition.

When you move from NY, provide a copy of your latest IEP to the school district in Florida. They will have to abide by that IEP until they create one of their own with you. Of course, if there are services that exist in New York and don't in Florida, they won't have to provide them. For example, in St. Johns County, you will not have PT. St. Johns County does provide speech and OT, however. Sessions are usually pull outs for 30 minutes at a time. If your child was receiving two hours of speech in NY, your child will receive the same in Florida until the new IEP is put in place. There is a loophole, though. If the Florida school does not have the staff or the staff does not have the availability, then they will tell you that they will "try to do their best" but can't make any promises.

In general, St. Johns schools are very good; Duval schools in certain areas are also very good--look to the Pablo Creek area and the Bertram area. In St. Johns county, the quality of service your receive really comes down to how much the administration will work with you. There are some schools that have excellent reputations, Valley Ridge Academy and Ocean Palms, are respected by many special education parents. Timberlane (or Timber Lakes, I've forgotten the name) is utterly despised. Cunningham Creek has a sensory room, but fellow parents have given the school mixed reviews. I think this stems in part from experiences with the ESE (special ed) classroom serving as a 'holding tank' rather than a true classroom, but I have no first hand knowledge.

All the special education parents i know supplement whatever their child receives from the public school with private therapy. When our child was in the pre-k (it's called VPK in FL), we supplemented by having his private ABA therapist attend class with him. We paid for this ourselves, but the therapist, administration and teachers all worked well together.

St. Johns schools in general are VERY large, 1000+ kids per school. To an ASD child, transitions in such a large setting, can be overwhelming.The class sizes, however, are limited to 18 children, a real advantage. Of course, the schools can get around this small class size issue by putting two teachers in the same classroom and then doubling up the size of the class, but in your IEP you should specifically have small class size as a requirement.

One alternative that has been successful for parents of HFA children has been to go to a mainstream private school, but with a therapist or aide to shadow for all or part of the day. In fact, I know one parent who combined therapy at Little Star (a special education school) with Torah Academy of Jacksonville. They are not Jewish, but the small class sizes and academic pace work well for the HFA child.

In addition, UNF has a special education department, which means that there are numerous college students who are trained, looking for training, and ready to earn academic hours by working with children.

In other words, there are a lot of opportunities in Jacksonville/St Johns county. There's no magic bullet, and you will miss some things about the education your child received in NY, but you will find the right combination of teachers, therapists, guidance and support to make a move to Florida work for your entire family.

Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.

Best of Luck!

[Adii]

SMTSF Really appreciate your time and detailed reply. God Bless you