Autism help.

[bdpop]

I would have to agree with a previous poster. I would strongly suggest you stay in NJ for your child's sake. The schools up there cannot be beat. Weather isn't everything, but your children are.

[jessicacentamore]

I live in NJ and am moving to Windermere, FL. My 3 yo has Autism. How are the public schools there? Are there any Private schools for kids with Autism? Will the district pay to send them there? In NJ they will.

Originally Posted by LauraB

Oh my gosh let me tell you the b/s we went through I have 2 autistic children, i'l also send you a pm if you'd like. We had to move twice we thought Osceola was ok, turns out they put special ed children "autistic" and like with felons and sex offenders. No joke! It's called New Horizons. Somehow I don't feel special education children and violent offenders and sex offenders should be placed in the same building.. but that's just me. So we moved to Orange County, after hours and hours of phone calls they don't even have funding for anything and they pair up a teacher volunteer when they have one available. We were in the Dr.Phillips area. We moved to Seminole County and now we have better schooling. We moved from a state that provides a therapist, psychiatrist and highly trained professionals.. to find out the bad news. But i'd give Seminole County a looksie. Hope this helps.

[ItsAboutTime]

Originally Posted by bdpop

I would have to agree with a previous poster. I would strongly suggest you stay in NJ for your child's sake. The schools up there cannot be beat. Weather isn't everything, but your children are.

I live in Northwest NJ, as well, and I don't agree that the school system cannot be beat. I teach here, and I have taught in NY and Florida, as well. It is all how much WORK the parent does, here in NJ, to get what you need for your child. Unfortunately, it is VERY POLITICAL in NJ, and most moms are stay at home in NW NJ, therefore, they befriend the principal, and get what they need for their child. If you don't know someone, or don't complain, you get nothing here. I see it all the time as a teacher, and I hate it. I tell parents that they need to be the squeaky wheel, so that they get what is rightfully theirs. Too much political nonsense and money here.

[tiggergolf3]

Jessica,

We moved from the Midwest this spring (2008). My son has PDD-NOS (under the autism spectrum umbrella). We live in Windermere and attend the public schools here. I am very disappointed with the special education program here. There are very few para's in the classroom (if any). He only receives GROUP speech and language (once a week). The school had never heard of a sensory room or sensory breaks. There is NO recess after third grade. They hinted at sending him to the "autism elementary school." Most people would never even realize his disability.

My suggestions is that if you do want to move down here, be very careful with what specific elem., middle, high school you'll end up with. The school boundaries seem to be changed often, so there's never an assurance of even being in that school longterm.

[Squeaky Wheel]

Originally Posted by ItsAboutTime

I live in Northwest NJ, as well, and I don't agree that the school system cannot be beat. I teach here, and I have taught in NY and Florida, as well. It is all how much WORK the parent does, here in NJ, to get what you need for your child. Unfortunately, it is VERY POLITICAL in NJ, and most moms are stay at home in NW NJ, therefore, they befriend the principal, and get what they need for their child. If you don't know someone, or don't complain, you get nothing here. I see it all the time as a teacher, and I hate it. I tell parents that they need to be the squeaky wheel, so that they get what is rightfully theirs. Too much political nonsense and money here.

ItsAboutTime: I AM a "squeaky wheel" who lives in Brevard County, FL and it has gotten us NO WHERE. Let me amend that. After 3 years of fighting the school system who forced us to place our high functioning autistic son in a self-contained unit where he was abused by an aide and mistreated by a teacher, we FINALLY were allowed to have him mainstreamed with an aide. We were very happy at that school, and he DID have an aide, but very limited services. Children here routinely receive only HALF of their scheduled speech therapy sessions required by their IEP due to "in service" training, FCAT testing, and other therapist abscences. No ABA is paid for by the school. Our son just graduated from that elementary school and when we filed an intent to have him placed in a private school, they tried to lower his funding without telling us, AFTER we were told it must remained locked. Looooooong story as you can tell, but I would NEVER EVER recommend anyone moving to FL for school options for their autistic child. There may be a good school here and there, but they are few and far between. In fact, after reading these postings, I'm considering a move to New Jersey! And our whole family was born and raised here in Florida!!

[ItsAboutTime]

Hate to say this, but when I was teaching in Brevard County, my son was attending my school, and they tried saying that he was autistic. They put us through h***, basically, and treated him terribly. We moved back to New Jersey for several reasons, but that was one of the main ones... he was not happy, and it was hindering him in all aspects of life. When we moved back, the school here labeled him as gifted! He is doing great!

[cc&lola]

It is hard to get into any services through the school system in FL. My 4yo daughter had a speech delay (I had her evaluated at a medical clinic), I filled out the paperwork to get her evaled in the school system in Sept 07, her eval was scheduled for Nov 07, we got a call saying she qualified for services in Feb 08 and she has yet to receive treatment, we are still waiting for an opening (for two 30 minute sessions/week). All this and I'm a "squeeky wheel", I don't know what it would be like if I wasn't calling and keeping up with things. In the meantime, I have taken her to a private therapist, which cost an arm and a leg but thankfully we could swing it, I can't imagine how bad her delay would be now without services.

If you are in a place with good services, it is probably worth it to say put unless you are going to do your research and do private school.

[odyssey52]

Hi Valerie.
I would call C.A.R.D (Center for Autism and Related Disorders) at the University of Central Florida. I have also heard favorable things about a school called Bridges Academy.

[Bridgette Andes]

Originally Posted by ambi007

Call this number for more information - this is for the developmentally delayed in Orange County school system. They will give you more info - 407-317-3229.

Thank you very much made the immediately had to leave a message. Im new at all this my son is 10 and we are just now finding out what was wrong with him.