What are your top public school districts in Massachusetts for high functioning autistic children? (Boston: insurance, house)

[Jacobs68]

Hello,

We are moving our family to the Boston Metro area and would like any help regarding where the best public school systems for children with high functioning autism are. We are really looking for inclusive programs. We have spoken to several educational advocates and none of them are giving us any information as to what their favorite programs are. Very frustrating.

We can live 30 miles, West, North, or South of Boston.

If you have a top 5 list, even better. Please provide any information as to "why" you like their special needs program.

Thank you very much for lending a hand in helping us find the best place for our son.

[Jacobs68]

I am sure somebody may have asked this question before.

I would appreciate any help out there.

Thank you.

[Jasontlc]

Did you ever move to Boston and did you find a school district that is helpful? My son is 4.5 years old and we live in OH. He goes to a good school (Rich Center for Autism) which is for autistic kids only and he gets state scholarship. The town is so worn down and we are considering PA or MA (esp Boston). what has your experience been like in Boston finding a school district?

[sdf4691]

Hi Jason,

Did you ever get any useful info about Boston/MA school districts that work well for kids with autism? We may be relocating and are trying to get a sense of which districts in that area handle this well. Our son will be going into 6th grade next year though we may not move until the following year. He currently is mainstreamed, and has a 1:1 from an outside agency as well as excellent services/support from the school district. (Our potential relo has nothing to do with any dissatisfaction with our current school district as it is fabulous and meeting his needs very well). As an aside, don't know if you are still considering PA or what part, but North Penn School District (north of Philly), where we've been for the past year, is excellent in general and specifically for kids on the spectrum. Would love to hear what you heard about the Boston area and if you have any of your own experiences to share. Job relo would be Lowell, so we would be interested in communities with reasonable commutes to there.

Thanks!

[audemars]

During our house hunt we looked at Dover. While discussing what at the time was the state's top ranked school system with multiple realtors, we heard more than once that Dover's special needs programs was attracting folks from across the country. Haven't sampled this firsthand, but may be worth looking into.

[sdf4691]

Update

We are returning to MA (moved away in 2001) next summer - looking for a good public school district for our PDD-NOS child who will be entering 7th grade. We need a reasonable commute to Burlington.

Our child is fully included, high-functioning, working on social skills, self-regulation, organization. Will need OT, PT, ST and maybe some 1:1 aide time to start.

Accessibility to friends on the North Shore and in ME and NH is a secondary consideration. We're considering many towns in the pocket between Burlington and Lowell, + Andover, Reading, and Swampscott.

We like communities with sidewalks, town centers, parks, diverse and generally friendly residents, and enough tax base to cushion the inevitable state ed funding cuts. We prefer more established neighborhoods to new subdivisions. We'd need a yard (2 dogs) but it doesn't have to be huge. There appear to be many towns in our price range, but we need help winnowing from the school district point of view.

[WJG229]

Originally Posted by Jasontlc

Did you ever move to Boston and did you find a school district that is helpful? My son is 4.5 years old and we live in OH. He goes to a good school (Rich Center for Autism) which is for autistic kids only and he gets state scholarship. The town is so worn down and we are considering PA or MA (esp Boston). what has your experience been like in Boston finding a school district?

Sorry I didn't see this sooner because I currently live in PA (LOVE IT) but we have to move to Boston because a number of reasons. I have an older daughter who works in Boston but we don't want to spend that much in this economy. We are thinking closer to the Dracut/Pelham NH line. If I had a younger child and I could afford it I would live right where I am. She is now 14 and only where she is because of the supports we had. In PA right now they have just tightened up on home behavioral health services but for the younger children or the children that have safety issues (mine did but doesn't now) there is still state insurance that covers the child. If you look online there is a parent run advocacy group called parent to parent of PA. They will give you support and information (the schools WILL NOT), but it's WAY cheaper to live than Boston. We are just moving there because we have a TON of family there and my husband misses the Boston sports LOL. If anyone has moved are currently lives in the Boston area I would love to hear your experiences. If anyone is interested or wants info on PA we live near the Trenton NJ line and are about 1/2 from NE Philly in Bucks County PA. If anyone wants their child to go to the high school with the BEST PROM in America... Buy My House LOL.
Wendy

[KbnapervilleKathleen]

Hi, relocating to Boston area as I am going to MIT to create a workplace solution for high functioning aspergers/ ASD students with IQ's > 100 ; as parents we know the school districts are not preparing this population (currently 600k kids under age 21 in USA today and AS reports 50,000 families each year are joining us! ) Looking for good school district that will support my 14 yr old and 20 yr old (college reccdm? ) Road trip to check out places upcoming August 15-25 so any responses appreciated. I am legitimate...you can check out Home

[sdf4691]

If anyone is checking out this thread, Andover, MA has been great for us (great w/ inclusion). But I would advise, if you can afford it, to work with an experienced, reputable ed consultant, as the districts are so varied and kids' needs are so different, the consultant can help you find the right match.

[sdf4691]

You don't necessarily need to commit to working with the consultant long-term if cost is an issue, but it's a good investment for finding the right town.