SJC schools and ESE--which school and area is best for autism? (Plantation: low income, 2013)

[GabbaJDC]

SmtSF--thank you very much for all of the information, it is truly helpful! You too Sunlover23--I will add those schools to my list of schools to visit. Thank you!

Robyn, autism is a lifelong neurological disorder. It is also a spectrum disorder--meaning it can be very mild or very severe and anywhere in between. Some children don't begin to show signs of autism until they are much older, these children typically have mild Asperger's syndrome and can function relatively okay in a mainstream classroom setting. Some children show signs very early. These children are typically the ones who are nonverbal and engaging in self harming behaviors--even as very young toddlers. They will not function well in a mainstream classroom setting on their own. The current research shows that the earlier that you intervene, the better the outcome. Taking a "wait and see" approach is probably the worst thing that a parent could do if their child has autism. If I were to throw my son into a classroom full of typical 3 year olds, he would still be autistic and still require interventions and support--but if he didn't have a diagnosis he probably wouldn't get as much support as he requires. As far as diagnosing a child with autism "too early".....your child either meets the criteria for an autism diagnosis or they don't. And you can choose to intervene or not. We chose to intervene. The earlier the better!

[Robyn55]

I am familiar with all the current conventional mainstream wisdom (whether it works or flops 10-20 years down the road remains to be seen).

And - like I said and at least one other poster here has echoed - our schools in SJC are bursting at the seams - and your autistic kid doesn't necessarily go to the head of the line in terms of getting the best possible everything while the normal kids go to the back of the line and perhaps get short-changed.

There are issues in Duval County as well. This article from the FTU today:

Duval plan for autism center draws cheers, caution from some parents | jacksonville.com

I find it interesting that some of the more vocal people on this forum who moved from the north to this part of Florida basically only for the schools haven't uttered a peep here. Like whether your autistic kid should get 3-4x or more taxpayer money as their normal kids do.

As I said. As a taxpayer - I will pay X - and you will have to fight among yourselves for relatively and increasingly scarce educational resources. Robyn

[snuffybear]

Because we are respectful of the needs of children in special education and not presuming to be experts on those challeges which we don't live daily.

For the record, I DO support free and appropriate education of all children, including special education children getting the services they need to reach their potential. I"ve heard the ESE programs in St. Johns County are good.

Good luck to you in finding the best educational option.

[SmtSF]

Originally Posted by snuffybear

Because we are respectful of the needs of children in special education and not presuming to be experts on those challeges which we don't live daily.

For the record, I DO support free and appropriate education of all children, including special education children getting the services they need to reach their potential. I"ve heard the ESE programs in St. Johns County are good.

Good luck to you in finding the best educational option.

Eloquent and thoughtful. Thank you.

[GabbaJDC]

Thank you snuffybear, I appreciate your support.

Robyn--I'm not sure why you think I'm demanding "the best possible everything" for my "autistic kid" at the expense of everyone else. I'm simply asking where the programs that are better equipped to educate a child like mine are located.

The irony of a Baby Boomer telling someone to duke it out for increasingly scarce resources is not lost on me.

[snuffybear]

Everyone in a community -- yes community -- is better off if the children who need extra support receive it. This increases the chances they are learning and being productive, and will become productive members of society. These families do not have it easy, and their children need the right type of educational support.

I've seen a few blogs recently from adults who had autism and/or aspergers growing up, and what they wish they could have told their teachers and parents. It is heartbreaking to see what they couldn't convey as children due to lack of communication skills. But due to education, they have been able to find a place as adults -- some becoming consultants in this field and others finding a type of work they can do, based on their strengths.

Supporting our neighbors will ensure a better community for all. <3

[GabbaJDC]

Snuffybear.....thank you<3

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by GabbaJDC

Thank you snuffybear, I appreciate your support.

Robyn--I'm not sure why you think I'm demanding "the best possible everything" for my "autistic kid" at the expense of everyone else. I'm simply asking where the programs that are better equipped to educate a child like mine are located.

The irony of a Baby Boomer telling someone to duke it out for increasingly scarce resources is not lost on me.

Well - I think that's because you are simply trying to get the best for yourself/your family/your personal situation. At the most minimal out of pocket cost to you.

Almost everyone in our "entitlement society" is demanding that. The best - on a "me first" basis. Whether it's lots of money to educate all kinds of kids - Medicare and Social Security for seniors - affordable housing and similar perks for people in poverty. You name it - someone wants it (or demands it!).

And the simple fact of the matter is that - unlike the federal government - states can't print money (although they can issue debt in the form of municipal bonds). And taxpayers have a finite willingness and capacity to pay state and local taxes (almost 50% don't pay federal income taxes - that's Mitt Romney's famous 47%). In addition - there are other constraints - like the SOH Amendment that limits property tax increases in Florida.

Overall - looking down the road - and I always try to look down the road a bit in terms of financial planning - I think that the Florida Medicaid expansion constitutional amendment will get on the ballot in 2016. I'd give it 60-40 odds of passing. Within 10 years after passage - Medicaid will cost us close to 50% of state income (it's 31% now - the largest state expense). Even without state Medicaid expansion - I think that Medicaid will be 40% of state spending in 10 years.

State Medicaid spending will increasingly crowd out our #2 state expense - education. So - overall - you parents won't be fighting with one another - you'll be fighting with the Medicaid crowd. Which includes both people like you (your elderly parents who use Medicaid for nursing homes) - and people not like you (home grown and immigrant poor people).

I also predict that SJC will not elect politicians willing to raise millage rates (at least before I'm dead). It is more likely that Florida voters will amend the state constitution to allow an income tax (although - again - I wouldn't give that better than 60-40 odds in the next 10 years).

IOW - what I see in the foreseeable future is state level entitlements being apportioned/rationed in some way/shape/form. And other things that are nice to have - like infrastructure improvements and maintenance - being cut to the bone.

FWIW - I have no illusions about my own entitlement situation. My return on what I paid into Social Security is very modest and earned IMO. When it comes to Medicare - that's a biggie. Where I am getting back more than I paid into the system. Even though my husband and I are still paying almost $8,000 a year now for Medicare Part B - Medicare Part D - and our Medigap policies (the latter covers the 20% that Medicare doesn't cover). And that doesn't cover things like getting our eyes examined - or our glasses - or hearing aids or similar (if we needed them - we don't). If you thought all this stuff was free when you got to the magical age of 65 - look again and start saving now.

Anyway - apart from the fact that the Medicare stuff is on the federal level - and the education stuff is mostly on the state level - it isn't as much in terms of "payback" as an average family with 2-3 kids is getting annually in terms of "payback" when it comes to property taxes versus the cost of educating their kids here in Florida.

If I've read one message here along the lines of - I'm moving here because the schools are great and the taxes are low - I've read a dozen. And - like Medicare - even as much as I pay for the Medicare I know and like - it isn't sustainable.

So what do you think will give? Because something has to give to make it work. Perhaps parents who want and can afford to pay for the best for their kids should pay more than other parents? Just like us seniors who don't care to be thrown into the Medicaid system and can afford to pay more are willing to pay more for a better level of care? Makes sense to me. Robyn

[Ivan Putski]

For what it's worth, I just moved to Ponte Vedra Beach from NJ and met a neighbor who has a child with Cerebral Palsy (wheel chair bound). They're a recent transplant from up north and looked at over 100 homes all over SJC/Duval County etc. before settling here based on the research they did for schools that can accommodate special needs children. Granted their child doesn't have autism, they felt that Ocean Palms Elementary was the perfect fit. She's been there since August 2015 and her parents have nothing but great things to say about the school. I realize your son is 3 yrs old but I just wanted to chime in with this info. Best of luck!

[GabbaJDC]

Thank you Ivan, I'm glad to hear that your neighbor found a good fit for their child at Ocean Palms. I'll definitely add that to my list of schools to visit. Thanks!

Robyn, since an appropriate public education is a fundamental American right for all children regardless of their ability or the family's financial status, maybe the county should look into other ways of bringing in revenue if funding is an issue. Does SJC charge an impact fee on the new construction homes? How about bringing bigger better retailers to SJC to generate more sales tax within the county along with the new half cent tax hike? (How about a Target along the 210 corridor? It seems like the nearest Target stores for the Julington, Durbin, Cimarrone, and Nocatee residents are all in Duval county. That's a lot of money going to Duval that could be going to SJC.)

At any rate, it's unacceptable to basically tell families of children with special needs to just go figure it out on their own. These kids matter just as much as anyone else and they can make great contributions to society.