Hi, help with relocating possibly?

[VeronikaW]

We're in Southern CA right now (Aliso Viejo). I'm jealous you're in Northern CA, I much prefer it to Southern (lived in Mountain View and Fremont).

My son is 3 years old. He just tested on the spectrum in January. They mainstreamed him into preschool with an aide, and he also attends a social skills building class twice a week. We have been impressed with the services he's offered through our school district. We are already seeing changes in him, and he only started on February 8th.

We had been living in WA when he was born, and he received services through the Birth to 3 program there, but when we moved to CA, we couldn't get help from the Birth to 3 provider here, so we waited until he was 3 and went through the school district.

I had to be very persistent getting answers from some of the WA school districts. Calling seemed to get me the best results (when I was able to talk to a person and not voice mail). The easiest school district to get answers from was Lake Washington. Everyone I talked to, I talked to about the preschool programs mostly. I've been meaning to call back Issaquah to find out about what happens when kindergarten starts, because even though I don't like their offerings for preschool, their program might be good for regular school. And I really want to move back to Issaquah, because I loved it there.

Lake Washington was the only school district I called that offered any sort of social skills building class. And none of the ones I called seemed to offer an aide in class.

In Issaquah, they lump all the special ed preschoolers in preschool together. My neighbor's daughter attended the Issaquah preschool, and was in a class with severely disabled students, which I don't think is beneficial for high functioning autistic kids.

I haven't heard back from 3 of the 7 school districts I've contacted, so it's sort of frustrating.

I tried to take notes, but I can't remember which school district it was I asked about kindergarten. But one of them (I think Lake Washington) told me that basically the high functioning children are in regular kindergarten classes, but might be pulled out throughout the day for specialized instruction in areas of weakness.

I was dismayed that the programs in CA seem better than what they're offering in WA. I had assumed WA would have better services (since their Birth to 3 services were so fantastic).

I know that Seattle's Children Hospital has a really great autism center.

Feel free to DM me if you have any other questions.

V. =)

[MomBraun]

I was just reading your posts from last year and I wondered what you ended up doing for schools and location? We are considering moving to the area and I have a little one in 1st grade with Down syndrome that is mild social but moderate in academics. We are considering Bellevue but not sure if that is the best. I would appreciate any advise or suggestions. My Hubby will work in Bellevue. Thank you in advance!

[beautifulseattlehomes]

There was a huge front page Seattle Time article about 6 months ago that said that Seattle Public Schools were decades behind the rest of the country in services available for special needs kids. Our friend and client had to move from Seattle back to the Washington DC area to find the services he needed for their autistic daughter. So my advice is dig deep and make sure you get very clear written answers from the each public school district you are considering and then look for a home once you are satisfied that you can get what you need for your child. Good Luck!

[BellevueNative]

Originally Posted by beautifulseattlehomes

There was a huge front page Seattle Time article about 6 months ago that said that Seattle Public Schools were decades behind the rest of the country in services available for special needs kids. Our friend and client had to move from Seattle back to the Washington DC area to find the services he needed for their autistic daughter. So my advice is dig deep and make sure you get very clear written answers from the each public school district you are considering and then look for a home once you are satisfied that you can get what you need for your child. Good Luck!

You realize the Seattle School District is way different from the SDs on the Eastside, right? There are a lot of kids with autism on the Eastside (speculation is it's due to all of the IT professionals there, and possibly an older parent base), and as a result, the school districts there have given it a lot of attention. The Lake Washington school district (which services schools in Redmond, Kirkland and part of Sammamish) seems to be thought of most highly for autism, but I don't know about special education in general. I know a number of Bellevue schools have it, although the BSD is known for being a bit of a pressure cooker when it comes to academics. Northshore SD has a good reputation, as does Shoreline SD and Issaquah, but again, I'm not sure about special education in those districts.

[flyingsaucermom]

Originally Posted by BellevueNative

You realize the Seattle School District is way different from the SDs on the Eastside, right? There are a lot of kids with autism on the Eastside (speculation is it's due to all of the IT professionals there, and possibly an older parent base), and as a result, the school districts there have given it a lot of attention. The Lake Washington school district (which services schools in Redmond, Kirkland and part of Sammamish) seems to be thought of most highly for autism, but I don't know about special education in general. I know a number of Bellevue schools have it, although the BSD is known for being a bit of a pressure cooker when it comes to academics. Northshore SD has a good reputation, as does Shoreline SD and Issaquah, but again, I'm not sure about special education in those districts.

FWIW: We moved from N. Seattle to Issaquah last year because of the lack of attention given to my son's increasing special needs. He has autism/ADD and is being served well by the Issaquah district. His IEP plan is comprehensive.

[KbnapervilleKathleen]

Relocating this summer To seattle area with two Boys on autistic spectrum. Oldest is freshman at Xavier unv in Cincinnati today but will transfer to UW or cmmty college next year...12 yr old needs social language/skills support and reading comprehension two years behind his 7th grade level in mainstream school...where should we look for housing? i suspect bellevue or mercer island but super-sized high school would not be good fit needs ...
Thanks in advance for any guidance you can offer...