Where to live with special needs kids (Portland, Salem: low crime, houses)

[msginam]

Hi, I have lived here in Beaverton for about 2 years. I want to move this summer (2012) and hope to get some personal perspective from special needs parents about the acceptance, schools, and neighborhoods where they live. I plan to stay in the Portland area-ish. I have considered Salem, Newberg, McMinnville, Clackamas and Oregon City. I have done some research but it is always somewhat inconclusive. As far as "neighborhoods" I have been considering Hillsdale, Highland, and cedar mill. I have heard that Tigard- Tualatin area is good as far as schools being helpful and such as well. ( I heard from two different moms that left the school and area I am in for the same issues I’m having and have been happy in Tualatin) It is hard to find information without just asking people who live there or other parents who are having good experiences. Unfortunately we have not had a very good experience where we live and I am hoping to find a place that is on the smaller side with a more quaint feeling and some happy community feel. Currently I live around Allen and Hall. It is not the most inviting or comforting neighborhood. (I moved here sight unseen from Corvallis, OOPS!) Most people are nice, just not a community feel. I don’t care much for the school experience we have had either. It has been quite disappointing to say the least. My son has gone from living in Corvallis where he was happy at the smaller schools and the smaller town feel to sad and having much worse behaviors since moving here. Does anyone have any suggestions on where we could live around the pdx area that is a little more tolerant and accepting? Actual towns, school districts, schools or just neighborhoods I could check out would be great. After some conversations with some random people here and there over the last two years, I feel confident that it is just the area I live that has been the issue. We do not want to go back down towards Corvallis again, but would like to find someplace up here that would give me the feel of say Albany, OR. The friendliness, small feel, kid activities, friendly schools, REASONABLY PRICED (No Lake Oswego for us, cant afford ) etc. I know there are lots of "neighborhoods around here that feel like they are their own little town, I just dont know much about them. Thanks much.

[Mclaurin]

Some quick thoughts.

I am not a parent of a special needs child, but did work with special needs kids long ago in Corvallis. It was pretty fabulous. So is the town. You won't get the same experience here, with the town size, sense of community and intellectual feel. Corvallis has a history of strong parental involvement for special needs kids, origins from the Teaching Research model from Monmouth. WOSC. That said, I think you are smart to think community.

I wonder if the smaller towns you are considering are affiliated with the colleges regarding special needs programs. That would be nice. I was thinking of Forest Grove and McMinville for that. McMinville is supposed to be pretty nice.

Portland public schools has been kind of a mixed bag. There is quite a bit of choice in placement regarding school location. I had a friend who's child had attended both PPS and OHSU programs with funding . Seems like nothing was totally great. She was frustrated as her child became older, concerns about the behaviors in the classroom.

I think Sherwood could be a very nice feel. I don't know people with special needs kids there, but the community has nice public recreation activities and that says a lot. I know nothing about the schools there.

People like Cedar Mills, it is afforable and has some nice houses. If you were in Vermont Hills in Portland the grade school has been one with a good rep in the past. Vermont Hills also has a low crime rate.

Best of luck. Hope you can talk with some special needs parents. Maybe contact the schools and ask to talk with parental group leaders? Perhaps get some names. I would want to talk with some local professors too.

[msginam]

Hi Mclauren,

Thank you, we will look into some of those places you mentioned. We have looked into forrest grove, it just didn’t feel right. Also the crime rate was much higher than here in Beaverton. I’ve also been told that Sherwood has a very low tolerance for special needs and they are quickly ostracized by the community. That may be a (very) dramatic version by the person who told it to me, but it was certainly that families take on it. I think I won’t chance that. LOL. I think it is really hard to find the feel I’m looking for up here but it is worth looking. I think you may be right. It’s going to be hard if not impossible to find the community feel I’m looking for. My kids and I have always lived in small towns such as Corvallis and Albany since they were born so this past two years has been difficult for us all. There are lots of things I love about this area, but we all have a hard time getting past the crowded feeling. Thanks for your help. My friend and I are going to gas up the car and drive through neighborhoods and check things out soon. We will add your suggestions to the list of places to look at.

[christiner81]

i have a son with special needs (physical difference/"disability") but he is not in school yet. i feel like Garden home in SW portland(where i live) is like what you are describing. our elementary school (montclair) is small and highly rated. we are part of the beaverton school district though, so if any issues you're having are from a district rather than school perspective you might not want to end up there. and if you ARE having beaverton district issues, PM them to me because i want to know.

i am no expert but i would think it'd also depend on what kind of special needs your child has. We don't personally have any intellectual/social/mobility issues - if we did it'd be a whole other ballgame.

[Mclaurin]

Good luck Msginam. As a person who experienced the culture and density shock you describe, I think you have to make your own community when you find the closest feel. It takes time, but it will be worth it.

[wanderbygrace]

I have a 13yo w/Aspergers. Back in Ohio in his elementary days, our school district was nothing short of phenomenal in helping him out. Since we moved here last year (North Clackamas SD, specifically Rock Creek MS), my wife has found that she has to pretty much pull teeth to have him helped out. Between that and him now in a middle school setting, he had a very rough 6th grade year.

I'm not sure that I could recommend North Clackamas to anyone, but from what I've gathered from speaking to local PDX people, it's pretty average in helping w/special needs, but above par, education-wise, as a whole. Unfortunately, I am simply not familiar enough, yet, w/the Oregon special needs scene to know what district are awesome w/it, but I will say this - just one or two people (involved in your childs life at school) that truly get it & work hard to help your child, makes up for an entire district that isn't quite functionable with special needs.

My wife is an assistant at a local special needs pre-school - I can ask her for more help w/recommendations, if you'd like. Just let me know.

[msginam]

Thanks for the input from everyone. We are still in the same neighborhood and continually looking for the right spot. We have found comfortable schools and my kids are quite happy where they are.

[Yankeemama]

I live in inner NE Portland and my son is on the autism spectrum. I have been happy with PPS and my son's spec ed classroom and teachers and his aides. My older child loves school here as well. The community has been very accepting and there are so many around us with some kind of DD that honestly, someone we know is diagnosed as dyslexic, ADHD, on the Autism Spectrum every year. I am not sure if Portland is too big for you though. Have you checked out Camas?

[KJoe11]

Originally Posted by msginam

Hi, I have lived here in Beaverton for about 2 years. I want to move this summer (2012) and hope to get some personal perspective from special needs parents about the acceptance, schools, and neighborhoods where they live. I plan to stay in the Portland area-ish. I have considered Salem, Newberg, McMinnville, Clackamas and Oregon City. I have done some research but it is always somewhat inconclusive. As far as "neighborhoods" I have been considering Hillsdale, Highland, and cedar mill. I have heard that Tigard- Tualatin area is good as far as schools being helpful and such as well. ( I heard from two different moms that left the school and area I am in for the same issues I’m having and have been happy in Tualatin) It is hard to find information without just asking people who live there or other parents who are having good experiences. Unfortunately we have not had a very good experience where we live and I am hoping to find a place that is on the smaller side with a more quaint feeling and some happy community feel. Currently I live around Allen and Hall. It is not the most inviting or comforting neighborhood. (I moved here sight unseen from Corvallis, OOPS!) Most people are nice, just not a community feel. I don’t care much for the school experience we have had either. It has been quite disappointing to say the least. My son has gone from living in Corvallis where he was happy at the smaller schools and the smaller town feel to sad and having much worse behaviors since moving here. Does anyone have any suggestions on where we could live around the pdx area that is a little more tolerant and accepting? Actual towns, school districts, schools or just neighborhoods I could check out would be great. After some conversations with some random people here and there over the last two years, I feel confident that it is just the area I live that has been the issue. We do not want to go back down towards Corvallis again, but would like to find someplace up here that would give me the feel of say Albany, OR. The friendliness, small feel, kid activities, friendly schools, REASONABLY PRICED (No Lake Oswego for us, cant afford ) etc. I know there are lots of "neighborhoods around here that feel like they are their own little town, I just dont know much about them. Thanks much.

Isn't Forest Grove have a model school for special needs children? It is supposed to be nationally known.