good schools/districts for autism? (Chicago, Frankfort: 2014, home, school districts)

[obrien64]

Great school in city Alcott but my experience is with a high functioning PDDNOS diagnosis. Great Suburban program Deerfield. I did the research several years ago in a desperate attempt to get away from the torment of CPS and fighting for services. I just couldn't make the move to the burbs I live the city too much. We suppliament my sons services with Lot of private therapy and he gets some services at Alcott School. But from my research I think Deerfield is pretty amazing.

[obrien64]

High functioning PDDNOS son. I have had a lot of success with Alcott school in chgo
Looked at the suburbs for a while and found Deerfield schools to be exceptional.
But, i just couldn't do the suburban thing I'm a city girl. Funding is being cut
everywhere with these big budget cuts - but Special Ed services seem to be taking one
on the chin. Hope this helps. My 11yr old son has a PDDNOS diagnosis he is doing quite
well with private services, proportionate share services thru CPS at our neighborhood
catholic school. Hang in there I know how frustrating this process is.

[epadro2003]

i am a mother of 9yr with autism and brain development delay i been fight school system in chicago they keep changing from school to school in public school were my opion they have no clue what going on he does,nt speak it make mad that he goes this schools to sit there and color and trace all day every time they set up a meeting it the same thing what up with the school system need help trying to find a good school for him were he won,t be bounceing around

[moenagi]

hi
my cousin is an autism child, his 8 years old. His in Newyork at the moment but his mother is planing to come to north of chicago because my uncle is currently living here. we have all his paper ready to tranfer. i searched for some school but i don't whats fit for him. is there any school you recommend.

thank you

[nana053]

Try asking on some of the autism meetup groups about schools. There should be lots of parents who can give you first hand information.

North Suburban Parents of Kids with Autistic Spectrum Issues (Evanston, IL) - Meetup

NICA Northern Illinois Center for Autism (Lake in the Hills, IL) - Meetup

[bungalowdweller]

A few years back an acquaintance moved to Woodstock from Berwyn because she claimed that the school district there had the best services for her severely autistic daughter that she could find. For those parents interested, I suggest contacting the school district directly.

[sully108]

My son is high functioning and we had good luck with getting services in the district we lived in, but it is quite far out (Crystal Lake). I also worked at a high school in Schaumburg and I know that they had a good reputation in the area for kids with special needs (although I never had to deal with them personally as my children were young and and we didn't live in the district).

[avengurl]

For the North side, Otis and Chopin are good. Lozano not good. Lowell is the WORST. Anyone know anything about Montefiore? I have heard good things about Agassiz too.

[zeinab Ahmed]

i am thinking of moving to Chicago this fall. i have a son with autism high functioning and some what verbal. we are moving from Canada and is open to settle in the suburbs for a good school. He was born in October, 2004 and i am not sure what grade he will be put in. I have seen a lot of therapeutic schools in Chicago area but is not sure how to enroll him there. Do i just need to live in the area to be able to register him there. Any advice here will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[chet everett]

If you are moving to a suburb you will be able to enroll your children in the school district served by that town. If the district determines your child is going to require services beyond what the district can provide at its schools there is process to get services from third parties but this is costly to the district as well as counter to the regulations of the US Dept of Education that require most students remain in regular classrooms to the greatest extent possible.

If you are contemplating a move to the city itself I would strong recommend against this for parents who beleive their children are best served in a private setting unless you are willing to pay out of pocket... CPS has severe funding issues and the general burden of third party schools is generally resisted more strongly by CPS staff. This has nothing to do with a prefernce for city living or anything else other than the fact that CPS is far more burdened than smaller districts.

In Illinois, children are entitled to a fairly wide range of educational services but it is generally easiest to have them delivered in districts with more funding per student and this means it makes sense to seek out districts with solid property tax base...Special Education Parent Rights Guide| Illinois State Board of Education