Starting over in Murray w/2 Autistic kids, and Mom w/Fibro-Lupus... HELP! (salon)

[Autism/FibroMom]

Hello everyone!
I am so excited to find this forum!!!! It is wonderful! My fiancee and I are moving to Murray, from Mesa, Az. at the end of June. We fell in love with the area, and I have a brother who lives there.
Obviously, as my title suggests, We have some special needs in our little family! I was hoping some of you might be familiar with these syndromes, and may have some info. or advice for us.
We are looking for a 3bd. 2ba. house to rent, while we look for our dream home, but I am having a heck of a time finding any listings. Is there someplace I can look?
I was just diagnosed with Lupus/Fibromyalgia 2 weeks ago, so now I need to find a Rheumatologist too!!!
My boys; ages 6 and 9 have Autism, so any info. about services, support groups etc. would be greatly appreciated!
Also, how is the job market in the area? I am a receptionist in a busy Salon in Scottsdale, and my fiancee works at Sportsman's Warehouse, behind the gun counter. He knows EVERYTHING you could EVER want to know about any type of firearm you could imagine! That is his passion!
We are just regular folks in our 30's, who want to raise the boys in a safe, friendly, close knit community. It takes a village, as they say... Even more so with children with disabilities.
We are so very disillusioned with the big city lifestyle. Phoenix is huge, crowded, violent, drug soaked, and so polluted, one can barely breathe anymore!!!! And the waiting list for Autism services, (that it took a year to get approval for, btw!) is about 2 years long!!!! My boys cannot wait that long!!!!
Anyway, thanks for reading this long rant.... I look forward to getting to know all of you, and I can't wait to come home to Murray!!!!
~Kathryn

[gimme it]

Just my 2 cents, but I think that you need to go on line to a national autistic website to see what the services are in KY. It's my guess that the bigger the city the more choices you will have in terms of appropriate schools and support. What will you do if Murray does not have Austism resources?

[deb12]

I agree with gimmi-check out the services the area has to offer. Family friends (due to jobs) have been in places where the kids (both autistic) have had no services/support. Finally, they are in Pittsburg where the services for autistic kids are awesome.

[dreamdust37]

Hi there,
Im not from Kentucky but also looking into Moving there. I felt compelled to write you and tell you I was also diagnosed with these two disorders. I didnt give up, Got sicker and finally put my foot down and requested testing for Lyme disease. Go figure it was what i had all along. They mimick each other.
I am not saying you dont have these disorders but please get checked for Lyme..
They tested me three times due to not believing the first two. Sometimes it shows you are not affected when in deed you are.
Lyme is on the rise and people need to be filled in, I wish the legislate would pass more help on this disease.
Lyme like mimicking disease of so many other diseases and Disorders.
I just wanted to let you know, I hope you dont mind.
Good luck with your search, I pray for the best for your family.
You can go online to
www.mainelyticks.com
Just a link but ticks and Lyme is throughout America..
Best of Luck,

[Autism/FibroMom]

I know they have several autistic kids in the Murray schools, and that MSU has some programs that i'm going to find out more about. Phoenix is a huge city, and even though services are available, the waiting lists are so long that it will be years before we can start anything. It's not worth it to stay here, with the cost of living keeping us well below the poverty line.

I think the best thing for the boys is to get them to a place like Murray, that is focused on supporting families. Surrounded by nature, and wonderful places for them to run and explore, and just be little boys. They can't do that here. The rest will come. I'd just like a home and a job set up, so we know where we are going. Any ideas about home rental and job listings would be so helpful..... Thanks for your replies. I will ask my Rheumatologist about the Lyme disease test. Thanks for the info.! I am glad that they found out that is what you had, and it wasn't these horrible diseases that have no cure!!!! Thank you all!!!!

[amandapants]

contact kelly autism center in bowling green KY (you can google them)

[Joeysmom]

I am your neighbor here in Chandler, Arizona, and am also looking into moving to Murray with my two kids! Whether I go will be dependent upon a university teaching position, so I have no idea if it will work out, and it would be summer of 2010 when I would move. Would you be willing to post any info you find here? I will do the same. My son, who has Asperger's Syndrome and some other issues, would be started high school at the time of my move if it happens.

[capcat]

Check out this website. You can search for service providers in surrounding counties as well.
Kentucky Autism Services and Supports