Best Schools for Special needs kids, public or private? (Miami: to rent, live)

[Thoth1978]

My son is autistic, and he loves sea creatures. We recently went on a vacation to Sea World and he came alive like I'd never seen before. I've never heard him laugh like he did when Shamu splashed us.

After seeing him so happy, we're considering moving down there from the Rochester, NY area.

My wife has a lead a on a great job with a lot of potential. Her industry has high pay regardless of the location in the country, as her skills are in demand. I work from home, so it doesn't matter where we live. Depending on the details of the job she's interested in, we could be moving down there as soon as September.


So we've been reading up on the area, and we've read that the schools aren't great. We'd initially moved to this area because of it's excellent programs for autistic kids, and we don't want to abandon the progress we've made with our son.

So, are the public schools as bad as we've heard? If so, how are the non-religious private schools? We don't feel that school is the place for religion- it's a family matter for us.

Anyway, thank you very much in advance.

[markhunt]

Originally Posted by Thoth1978

My son is autistic, and he loves sea creatures. We recently went on a vacation to Sea World and he came alive like I'd never seen before. I've never heard him laugh like he did when Shamu splashed us.

After seeing him so happy, we're considering moving down there from the Rochester, NY area.

My wife has a lead a on a great job with a lot of potential. Her industry has high pay regardless of the location in the country, as her skills are in demand. I work from home, so it doesn't matter where we live. Depending on the details of the job she's interested in, we could be moving down there as soon as September.


So we've been reading up on the area, and we've read that the schools aren't great. We'd initially moved to this area because of it's excellent programs for autistic kids, and we don't want to abandon the progress we've made with our son.

So, are the public schools as bad as we've heard? If so, how are the non-religious private schools? We don't feel that school is the place for religion- it's a family matter for us.

Anyway, thank you very much in advance.

I would not be able to sleep at night after readng this and not offering my opinion.

Stay in NY. You would most likely be taking 2 steps back with your sons progress thinking you are taking 1 step forward. Continue to search on this forum for as much information as you can about the educational system down here. Make phone calls to different schools and speak to the administration. Ask as many questions as you can and compare everything up there with regards to what your son is receiving in school and therapy and see if you will get the same or more down here. Find out what education level the teachers and staff have that would be working with your son. Look at test scores here in this area and comapre them to test scores in YOUR area (not with other areas of Florida).

Speak to your friends and family and heed their advice. Take family in consideration. Will you have family here?? For as bad as you hear the schools are in Florida, the special needs education is worse. You would probably get better services for you son in the public schools up there, then a costly private school down here.

Here is another question to ask yourself. If Disney world did not exist, would you still consider moving here? If so why?

[lunazu]

I moved to FL about 4 years ago. Big mistake. One word to describe the special needs education here is "atrocious". Private schools are extremely expensive and not that great. I lived in NY/NJ and the schools are much better and you can find better resources in the Rochester or NYC area. Do extensive research and inquire about references. I am not impressed with anything I've seen so far and believe me I've search high and low. We are moving back north for my son's sake.

[boy3365]

I am so over these northerners coming down here bashing our school system (and not just Florida) and pretty much everything else down there. The reason why schools are starting two weeks later than normal is because some transplant parent in Miami was upset that her child was three weeks behind, because she decided to wait until after Labor Day to enroll the child. Her lobbying eventually made it up to Tallahassee. Use the freakin brain that you think is so much better than the typical southerner and look up the start date for our schools so that you can plan to be here when school starts. I know Brevard and some other districts gave Tallahassee a big "f u" and started school this past Monday.

I don't know anything about special ed programs, but in any school system, you are going to have good ones and bad ones. I'm sure there are plenty of schools up north that suck just as much as (or more than) the schools people claim to suck here. Unfortunately, this post is more of a vent than answering your specific question...

[qdogfball]

Probably better opportunities for you in NY than here in FL.

Florida state spending: $6,931 per student.

$8,052 in Seminole county, $8,551 in Orange county.

New York spends $15,981 per student.

Do not know what your area gets in NY, but just in general, you should be MUCH better off with the programs there, just going off money spent.

[MARTAF]

I would like to move from nc to florida for the same situation but i have two kids with pdd in middle school.. The school system overhere is really bad for this kids .. How is in seminole area? How is the school in seminole area??

[annerk]

Originally Posted by boy3365

I am so over these northerners coming down here bashing our school system (and not just Florida) and pretty much everything else down there. The reason why schools are starting two weeks later than normal is because some transplant parent in Miami was upset that her child was three weeks behind, because she decided to wait until after Labor Day to enroll the child. Her lobbying eventually made it up to Tallahassee. Use the freakin brain that you think is so much better than the typical southerner and look up the start date for our schools so that you can plan to be here when school starts. I know Brevard and some other districts gave Tallahassee a big "f u" and started school this past Monday.

I don't know anything about special ed programs, but in any school system, you are going to have good ones and bad ones. I'm sure there are plenty of schools up north that suck just as much as (or more than) the schools people claim to suck here. Unfortunately, this post is more of a vent than answering your specific question...

Your post is only have correct as far as why schools start later and why some start earlier.

At any rate, I have to say that overall, the education system is better up north in many areas than overall in the south. That said, central Florida has come a LONG way in the past 10 years, but it's still got a long way to go.

Rochester is known for it's great schools. There's no way I'd move here, your son will not get the same level of service, even with an IEP.

[Cybizwife]

I hate to burst your bubble, but Florida Schools are hit or miss. They are for special needs kids. We lived in DeBary (Volusia Count), FL. My kindergartner (at the time) went to DeBary Elementary which was a terrific school. But my special needs daughter attended Manatee Cove Elementary and it sucked. When my daughter arrived from Northern VA, she was reading, writing, and doing math. After leaving the Florida Schools she was so far digressed that we had to start over after moving to Northern NV. She is now in a fully inclusive school system, and doing wonderfully. We love it.

Originally Posted by boy3365

I am so over these northerners coming down here bashing our school system (and not just Florida) and pretty much everything else down there. The reason why schools are starting two weeks later than normal is because some transplant parent in Miami was upset that her child was three weeks behind, because she decided to wait until after Labor Day to enroll the child. Her lobbying eventually made it up to Tallahassee. Use the freakin brain that you think is so much better than the typical southerner and look up the start date for our schools so that you can plan to be here when school starts. I know Brevard and some other districts gave Tallahassee a big "f u" and started school this past Monday.

I don't know anything about special ed programs, but in any school system, you are going to have good ones and bad ones. I'm sure there are plenty of schools up north that suck just as much as (or more than) the schools people claim to suck here. Unfortunately, this post is more of a vent than answering your specific question...

[Neishie_VanteMac]

My son has a speech and behavioral disorder and i am thinking about moving him to Florida any time soon. just need opinions on the best schools and good family like area to settle. Any help i can get would be appreciated.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by Neishie_VanteMac

My son has a speech and behavioral disorder and i am thinking about moving him to Florida any time soon. just need opinions on the best schools and good family like area to settle. Any help i can get would be appreciated.

Where would you be working? Do you want to rent or buy? What is your budget?