Considering move to Orlando area / son with ADHD (Oviedo, Longwood: home, school district)

[SoPastoBosNoShore]

We are a two dad family (early 50s) with two sons, ages 14 and 9, living in South Pasadena, California, researching a possible move to the Orlando area.

Our older son has ADHD and is on an IEP/504 at South Pasadena Middle School, which is among the best in LA County. We can't seem to find a smaller (non-charter) high school in the Orlando area which would suit him. We're open to private school, but since we're a bit late in the admissions process for this fall, we're not sure that's possible.

We're looking for any advice on areas which would welcome our family and suit our son's educational needs.

Can anyone in a similar situation point us in the right direction?

[kyle19125]

Check out the Pace Brantley School in Longwood. The corresponding area to check out for a home is the Wekiva Springs area which is very nice, well-established. https://pacebrantley.org/ For your other child the Lake Brantley school district is one of the better ones in the well-regarded Seminole County School District, which is among the top handful of districts in the state of Florida.

[SoPastoBosNoShore]

Thank you, Kyle!

Will have a look at Pace Brantley.

[LaxRayala]

@SoPastBosNoShore: Did you find out details? Uf yes, please share details We are a family based on MO State and both our boys have IEPs. Thinking of moving to Central Florida. Looked at One Charter School (Princeton Charter School) and another ABA Therapy School in Oviedo area.

[SoPastoBosNoShore]

Yes, we looked into Pace Brantley and it is a bit too small for our son (less than 20 students per grade). Ideally, we're searching for a school that has roughly one or two hundred kids per grade and offers a well rounded experience which would include dedicated sports and music programs.

We have been working with a realtor and we're not very hopeful that we'll find a match. The high schools in the Orlando area are all much bigger than our current school, and while there are advantages with size, we're fearful that it will be overwhelming for our older son. The private high school choices are limited for kids with ADHD, and most are very small. The Hope Charter / Legacy High School would be perfect, but we made inquiries and admission for next year is closed, and there is no guarantee our son would be admitted in future years.

It's likely we'll either stay put or move to an area better suited to our son's needs.

If anyone has additional advice, please feel free to share!

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by SoPastoBosNoShore

Yes, we looked into Pace Brantley and it is a bit too small for our son (less than 20 students per grade). Ideally, we're searching for a school that has roughly one or two hundred kids per grade and offers a well rounded experience which would include dedicated sports and music programs.

We have been working with a realtor and we're not very hopeful that we'll find a match. The high schools in the Orlando area are all much bigger than our current school, and while there are advantages with size, we're fearful that it will be overwhelming for our older son. The private high school choices are limited for kids with ADHD, and most are very small. The Hope Charter / Legacy High School would be perfect, but we made inquiries and admission for next year is closed, and there is no guarantee our son would be admitted in future years.

It's likely we'll either stay put or move to an area better suited to our son's needs.

If anyone has additional advice, please feel free to share!

Are there some definitive results driving your search for the student body range you're focused on, or is it just an arbitrary number you've come up with your on own? From the outside looking in it seems you may have painted yourselves into a corner over something that might not be as imagined. I'm sure there's a tendency to protect but "over-protecting" might not be doing any favors once he's older. Just some unsolicited but well-intended advise, good luck on the hunt and wherever you may wind up!

[SoPastoBosNoShore]

Thanks for your post.

No, this isn't an arbitrary number. Our son sees a psychologist and an executive functioning specialist. His treatment plan is customized with his current school IEP/504. We've discussed the possible move with the specialists and we are taking their recommendations. There are many schools in other parts of the country that definitely fit the description we're seeking, but it's difficult to find a public or private high school with space available in the Orlando area. Hope Charter / Legacy High comes closest, but it's unlikely we could secure a spot for him in the fall. Please let me know if you have any other suggestions.

[latinlady]

I will say this having an IEP in Cali is a big difference than Fl. It's tough to gauge bc every kid is different and has different needs.
If you would like more insight you can Join on FB adayinourshoes.com.