Moving to Atlanta with special needs child (Decatur, Buckhead: private school tuition, lawsuit)

[futurestrader57]

Hello,

We are moving to Atlanta this summer with our 2 children and I am looking for information about special needs children programs, as our 5 year old is non-verbal autistic.

Are there any good public schools with such emphasis? We read that Morning side has a very good elementary school but did not find much info about special needs program. Our son is currently enrolled in a public school "PEP" program in the DC area (Bethesda, MD) and we are hoping Atlanta offers similar programs.

We are willing investigate private options as well but our preference is to remain in the public system.

The areas we are currently looking at (remotely) are morning side, South Buckhead, Decatur (Job is at Emory).

I would appreciate any information from people familiar with the system. We are coming to Atlanta the week after next to start looking at lodging etc...

Thanks,
Renaud

[pinetreelover]

I don't have the answers for you about schools, but would like to point you towards FOCUS https://focus-ga.org/

The staff and parents at FOCUS have walked in your shoes and can answer many of your questions. They offer support and a calendar full of fun activities for you and your kids. Give them a call!

[mmcgrayland]

I don’t have the specific person’s contact information, and perhaps someone else will chime in with it, but my first thought is you should reach out to Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta. They should be able to provide a wealth of information about schools, both public and private.

[bu2]

Contact Marcus Autism Center.

Oak Grove ES (at least about 10 years ago when we were looking) had a good special needs program. I don't know specifically how they are with autism. Oak Grove is just a few miles NE of Emory.

Georgia has a special needs scholarship for students who have been in public schools in Georgia for a year. It can pay as much as $7,000 towards private school tuition. That has lead to a wealth of special needs schools in the Atlanta area.

There is some kind of association of special needs schools Marcus could give you the link to the website. This is a realtor's website, which isn't complete (I noticed Bedford isn't on there-but is south so not likely a school you would look at), but it pretty good. https://www.atlantapros.com/atlanta-...needs-schools/

[lastminutemom]

I don't think Oak Grove has a special needs program anymore. I think it is at Hawthorne Elementary now. These are DeKalb County schools.

When you have a child with significant needs -- you are not likely to find the program your child needs at every elementary school in that system. This is especially true in systems where the elementary schools are not large.

The City of Decatur is a very small system and for many years the kids with the most significant needs were actually served by DeKalb County. I think this has changed for the most part, but I would call City of Decatur special ed department and inquire.

https://www.csdecatur.net/domain/565

If your child completes one year of public school, they are likely eligible for SB 10 funds should you find that public school doesn't meet their needs. That said, there are not many private options for kids with significant needs. Finding the right private fit won't be easy either.

[CMMom]

Agree with lastminutemom. There are a few private options in the Atlanta area for lower-functioning/nonverbal children with autism, but they are few. In a lot of cases, such a child is better served in a public school setting with a strong IEP. I'm not sure that I would count DeKalb County as one of the more supportive options or not. I personally know someone who has a lawsuit pending against the county to get them to pay for their child's private, out-of-state school because the public schools could not adequately serve the child's needs. It has been a nightmarish ordeal for that family. Do your homework. Visit the schools and speak to the Special Ed coordinator in person.