Need info about living in Springfield, MO (Joplin, Branson: job market, school district)

[billmoyer2012]

My sister is considering a move from New England but knows very little about Springfield or Missouri in general.

1) One of her children is special needs; 12 years-old and high functioning on the autism spectrum (PDD-NOS). Can anyone on this forum share information about the school district and how they help special needs children? My sister wants to know if the district supports inclusion and would provide a para-educator.

2) What is the situation with Lyme's Disease? Has Missouri been getting a lot of cases? Does the medical establishment even acknowledge it? (My sister has advanced Lyme's and needs to find a doctor(s) willing to give her the help she needs to get better.)

3) My sister is afraid of her or her kids getting bitten by a Brown Recluse spider (MO is in the spider's geographical range). Has anyone had problems with bites, infestations, etc.?

4) MO has been getting hammered the past year or so with tornadoes. How bad have things been around Springfield?

5) What's the job market like right now? Booming or people out of work?

I'm sure she'll have more questions based on the answers I pass along from this forum.

Thanks for taking the time to read and reply.

Bill

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by billmoyer2012

My sister is considering a move from New England but knows very little about Springfield or Missouri in general.

1) One of her children is special needs; 12 years-old and high functioning on the autism spectrum (PDD-NOS). Can anyone on this forum share information about the school district and how they help special needs children? My sister wants to know if the district supports inclusion and would provide a para-educator.

2) What is the situation with Lyme's Disease? Has Missouri been getting a lot of cases? Does the medical establishment even acknowledge it? (My sister has advanced Lyme's and needs to find a doctor(s) willing to give her the help she needs to get better.)

3) My sister is afraid of her or her kids getting bitten by a Brown Recluse spider (MO is in the spider's geographical range). Has anyone had problems with bites, infestations, etc.?

4) MO has been getting hammered the past year or so with tornadoes. How bad have things been around Springfield?

5) What's the job market like right now? Booming or people out of work?

I'm sure she'll have more questions based on the answers I pass along from this forum.

Thanks for taking the time to read and reply.

Bill

I cannot speak to your question #1. However, with regard to the rest of the list, I can tell you that Springfield, like most everywhere, has its good things and its bad things. Yes we have tornadoes, yes we have Lyme disease and yes we have brown recluse spiders. If your friend is going to worry about it to the point where she isn't going to enjoy living here, she might as well not move. You just take all these things in stride after awhile. Yes, you prepare for tornadoes, you *always* shake out your shoes before you wear them (and unpack things in storage very carefully), and when you get a tick, you keep an eye out for the "bullseye" rash, but you can't worry about stuff or you go nuts.

20yrsinBranson

[Arrby]

Do not take my word or that of anyone one a forum for information about the special needs child. Go to the Springfield R-12 School District and get the information direct. http://springfieldpublicschoolsmo.org/index.aspx

In these last 50 years I have known of one person bitten by a Brown Recluse. Most of us are far more cavalier about them than we ought to be - they are nearly ubiquitous, after all.

Springfield has not had a tornado touch down in the city in quite some time. Someone surely can give us the date. My business was demolished in the Joplin event. Although I have seen the damage from perhaps a dozen tornadoes, that one has given me an entirely new perspective. But really, if you eliminate all the places that have tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, heat waves, and dangerous animals there is not much left in North America.

Lyme disease is relatively rare here. Really experienced doctors may be in short supply - but her doctor can likely find out for her.

Employment can be had - it just depends upon the field. Some fields are strong, some are ok, some are awful.

[pams73]

I kind of ditto what everyone else says. We do have brown recluse spiders, yes, but I know of exactly one person here who has ever been bitten. Personally, I would be more concerned with Black Widow spiders, and I know they have those in New England. Tornadoes, you just prepare for as best you can and take cover when the warnings sound.

I can't tell you what the job market is like without knowing what field she would be working in.....it varies wildly depending on what kind of job we're talking about.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by pams73

I kind of ditto what everyone else says. We do have brown recluse spiders, yes, but I know of exactly one person here who has ever been bitten. Personally, I would be more concerned with Black Widow spiders, and I know they have those in New England. Tornadoes, you just prepare for as best you can and take cover when the warnings sound.

I can't tell you what the job market is like without knowing what field she would be working in.....it varies wildly depending on what kind of job we're talking about.

Most people don't realize that the reactions to Brown Recluse spiders varies widely. Some people are not sensitive at all. I knew a young man who was bitten regularly and never reacted at all. On the other hand, HIS best friends dad was bitten on the leg and very nearly died from it. So you just never know.

If the notion bothers you so much, you can but a first aid kit here Brown Recluse First Aid Kit | Brown Recluse | Brown Recluse Spider | Recluse Spider which you can use to treat it. And there are also folk remedies which have been working well for many years. (If you are interested in these, pm me because I don't want to post them here.)

20yrsinBranson

[brushrunner]

I'd be more afraid of Snakes such as Copperheads and Rattlers before Spiders.

I go out every day and its regular routine picking Ticks.Had one Lyme's Disease scare but it was just allergies.

Tornadoes hit every so often.I was in one several years ago on the West side,my Son was in one few years ago on the East side.

brushrunner

[pams73]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

Most people don't realize that the reactions to Brown Recluse spiders varies widely. Some people are not sensitive at all. I knew a young man who was bitten regularly and never reacted at all. On the other hand, HIS best friends dad was bitten on the leg and very nearly died from it. So you just never know.

If the notion bothers you so much, you can but a first aid kit here Brown Recluse First Aid Kit | Brown Recluse | Brown Recluse Spider | Recluse Spider which you can use to treat it. And there are also folk remedies which have been working well for many years. (If you are interested in these, pm me because I don't want to post them here.)

20yrsinBranson

You are so right about the reaction being different among people. The one person I knew that had been bitten had a horrible reaction, but I have seen people at work (I'm a nurse) that have barely reacted. I think of it like an allergy.

I wouldn't NOT move somewhere because there is a potential venemous creature there..........that would rule out just about 90% of the US.