Moving to NoVa with a special needs child (Arlington, Fairfax: homes, best school)

[Rich351854]

We are contemplating relocating to northern Virginia and have a special needs soon to be 5th grader. The area is so vast but we want to make sure (before we do it) that there are services and support in the school system.

We would be moving from NJ where our daughter is in a very small elementry school (3 - 22 student classes per grade) and she has a dedicated aid. Her program is that she spends half the day in the gen Ed class then half the day in a resource room. our daughter has fragile x syndrome which means that she has learning disabilities (severe delays) and has attention challenges.

In the end, we are super nervous as we don't know what to expect and recognizd how big the schools are in NoVa. My job will be in Arlington and we would expect to get a home in the 1m range....

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to all the read this and reply

[jtees4]

I do not live in VA, at least not yet. But I have been looking into it as my son does live there. I have a developmentally disabled daughter, but she is now over 21 and out of school. I suspect you will find that the school systems have plenty of options and things available for you....maybe not quite as many as NJ (I live in NY), but adequate. I would just caution one thing. Don't just look at school districts, also look into what happens after your child is an adult. Sure, it's fifth grade now, but unless you plan on moving do yourself a favor and look beyond school age also. What I have found is VA does not have as much for special needs children after 21 as many other areas. Even programs they offer have waiting lists. An example is what we need which is a Medicaid Waiver. My daughter has a job with a job coach because of this program. In VA there is an 8,000+ waiting list for these services which translates to well over 2 years and probably more. I just thought I'd throw this out there....10 years can fly by and before you know it, she's considered an adult. My daughter is high functioning and sometimes that makes it harder because she falls between the cracks of services. I truly wish you good luck.

[choff5]

Can't help with Arlington, but here's the link for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) special Ed info, Fairfax County Public Schools: Special Education Instruction. There's a lot there but you may want to contact someone at the district level to discuss her IEP needs. There are programs at all schools but they differ so you will want to know where and what is the best fit. Best of luck.

[sealman]

Rich...

I have a special needs child (ASD) in the Prince William County School System and we have had no issues. They have a very informative parent resource center that can answer any questions.

[url=http://specialeducation.departments.pwcs.edu/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=136227&sessionid=7b9838f9b9cee5 6f53cfe7aece304919&sessionid=7b9838f9b9cee56f53cfe 7aece304919]SpecialEducation - PRC Overview[/url]

[Deluusions]

Hi Rich! I would suggest living in Arlington with your budget, Arlington is a very cool place with parks, restaurants and many amentities for you and your daughter while being close to your job! Arlington county public schools is one of the best school systems in the country. Your daughter will be perfectly fine

Here are links to the Arlington Public Schools special needs resource center, it has the phone number as well as the building address and email. From a former NJ resident good luck!

Parent Resource Center / Parent Resource Center

http://www.apsva.us/Page/13534

[Rich351854]

I think we are settling in on Vienna - does anybody have experience with Vienna Elementary?

[michgc]

Originally Posted by Rich351854

I think we are settling in on Vienna - does anybody have experience with Vienna Elementary?

My kids didn't go there - they went to a neighboring school in Vienna, but everyone I know who went there seemed to like it. The school is small - only about 2 classes per grade. I've heard the demographics of the school are starting to change (toward higher socioeconomic kids) with all of the $1M+ homes that have been built in that area. The only negative I have heard about that school are that because of its smaller size, they may not have as many clubs as some of the bigger schools. But, overall, you can't do much better than Vienna Elementary. I'd send my kids there in a heartbeat!