Schools for children with special needs and also schools for our other children (Tampa: house)

[serafim221]

My husband just received a job offer to work in Sarasota. We currently live in Tampa and are in the Hillsborough school district. I've heard schools in Sarasota are better than where we currently are but I am worried about what our options are for our 5 year old son with special needs.

Does anyone have any experience with either public or private schools in the Sarasota area for children with special needs. My son currently doesn't have have dx we suspect its some sort of genetic mutation they can't identify. He is non-verbal but understands and knows some sign language (10-15 words) and uses a communication app on his iPad to communicate. He tires easily and has fine and gross motor difficulty.

I've heard and read about Fruitville but I saw it mainly as it relates to Autism. Do they have other class rooms for different types of special needs or are all specials needs grouped together? Is it true they are completely segregated from the general student population?

are there other schools in the area anyone can recommend? We are looking at purchasing a house in Palmer Ranch so I am not sure what school my son would be sent to considering his special needs as it might not be the school zoned to us if they don't have the programs we need available. We also have a daughter and another son on the way so we also want to know about regular schools for them public or private in the area that would be recommended. I think if we purchase on Palmer ranch we would be zoned for Ashton Elementary. Seems like a decent school but I read mixed reviews so I am not sure what to think.

Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. We are in between moving to Sarasota or staying in Tampa. We are currently happy with our sons school and his ESE teachers so moving to an unknown school is a big question mark for us and we just want to make the best decision possible.

[Picshooter]

Oak Park School off of Proctor Rd. Oak Park School, Sarasota County Schools

Very small class sizes including ASL and are up on communication tech.Excellent Specials = arts, horticulture, music, etc. Active PTO. I really suggest taking a tour.

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by serafim221

My husband just received a job offer to work in Sarasota. We currently live in Tampa and are in the Hillsborough school district. I've heard schools in Sarasota are better than where we currently are but I am worried about what our options are for our 5 year old son with special needs.

Does anyone have any experience with either public or private schools in the Sarasota area for children with special needs. My son currently doesn't have have dx we suspect its some sort of genetic mutation they can't identify. He is non-verbal but understands and knows some sign language (10-15 words) and uses a communication app on his iPad to communicate. He tires easily and has fine and gross motor difficulty.

I've heard and read about Fruitville but I saw it mainly as it relates to Autism. Do they have other class rooms for different types of special needs or are all specials needs grouped together? Is it true they are completely segregated from the general student population?

are there other schools in the area anyone can recommend? We are looking at purchasing a house in Palmer Ranch so I am not sure what school my son would be sent to considering his special needs as it might not be the school zoned to us if they don't have the programs we need available. We also have a daughter and another son on the way so we also want to know about regular schools for them public or private in the area that would be recommended. I think if we purchase on Palmer ranch we would be zoned for Ashton Elementary. Seems like a decent school but I read mixed reviews so I am not sure what to think.

Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. We are in between moving to Sarasota or staying in Tampa. We are currently happy with our sons school and his ESE teachers so moving to an unknown school is a big question mark for us and we just want to make the best decision possible.

Hi There,

Sarasota county has one of the best school systems in the state of Florida. Yes, Ashton Elementary is the school for Palmer Ranch but I always recommend double checking the school zones. Here are the school districts by zone: http://www.sarasotacountyschools.net...lrp/zones.aspx I have several friends who have children who attend Ashton and they all really like the school. Like suggested, Oak Park is also another excellent idea. There's also www.DreamsAreFree.org , which is a school strictly for special needs. It services K-5 and has very small class sizes. If you need assistance with funding for that school you can apply for a McKay Scholarship.

You might want to visit this website as well, as it has some useful info: Children with Special Needs

There are many other fantastic schools in Sarasota and Manatee county. Here's a website where you can see how the schools are rated:
School Accountability Report...
or www.GreatSchools.com

I have a child with special needs and we always dealt with Liz Elliot at The Landings, Sarasota County School Board. She is in Pupil Support: Sarasota County Schools - Pupil Support Services

Hope this helps and good luck with it.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

Laurel Nokomis School is one of the most highly rated schools around - we have a son with ADHD there - we had trouble at first but now he is nicely situated - they also have a unit devoted to autism -

[Sunshine Rules]

Palmer Ranch is covered by 2 elementary school districts, Ashton east of McIntosh and Gulf Gate west of McIntosh.

Most of Palmer Ranch is within the Sarasota Middle and Riverview High school districts, but not the southern end. Students in south Palmer Ranch attend Laurel Nokomis Middle and Venice High schools.



Here are some other web sites you may find helpful:

New Page 1

BeyondTheSpectrum.org

Therapeutic School for Autism, spectrum, ADHD, social skills tutoring special needs in Sarasota Florida

Special Needs Schools Sarasota FL - autism, Sarasota FL social skills, Sarasota FL autism education, Sarasota FL autism help, Sarasota FL autism support, Sarasota FL aspergers social skills, Sarasota FL autism behavior, Sarasota FL autism school

| Autism Speaks

Pinnacle Academy Profile | Lakewood Ranch, Florida (FL)

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

[sak9210]

We used to live in Lakewood Ranch. Bradenton, but still close. My typical daughter went to school there. We really liked it. Now we live in NJ, but have a son with autism, and would really like to move back, but I worry about the schools for asd kids. Any info on the Lakewood Ranch area would be great. Thanks.