Re: States to Move to with Aspie Child -- TX, NM, AR

May 9, 2006

I knew someone who used to live in NC, and he said the school system was bad

there, not sure but that's just what I heard, he said the kids who have no

troubles, do not even get a good basic education and rated the state as well

below average for public education.......have you checked into Oklahoma? (just

trying to think of some warmer states) Nevada? maybe Kansas? Tennessee? How

about South Carolina??????

May 9, 2006

I live in VA Beach, VA and have had wonderful assistance here. I can not

imagine moving from this area. My husband is military and we keep holding our

breath.

Lori

( ) States to Move to with Aspie Child -- TX, NM, AR

Well, I've crossed Mississippi off our list. When I was doing my

research, I came across an article that listed the top 10 worst states

to live in if you have a developmental disability. Mississippi was at

the top of the list. Georgia was there, as well as Louisiana,

Alabama, Florida and other states.

I'm going to talk to my husband about NC as someone suggested that it

was a great state and didn't get too cold. But I am also wondering

about Texas, New Mexico and Arkansas. New Mexico says specifically in

their statutes that Asperger's Syndrome is accepted by their DD

department. But do they actually apply the statute as it is written

(or does it get " reinterpreted " )?

TIA

C

May 9, 2006

The state of Texas does recagonize all forms of PDD as AU for special ed

purposes. But

As a former special ed teacher and a parent of two disabled kids, one Aspie and

one LD, I

have seen the willingness to accept AU vary depending on the size of the school

district

and their available resources. I personally can highly recommend Northside ISD

in San

, TX. They are fantastic with autism services for child, parent, and

whole

family. San also has a lot of support services available for autism.

(Plus it

never gets too cold here.) And I would recommend staying away from Austin ISD.

They

tend to see all AU as just ADHD, at least this school year that is the trend.

Good luck on your search,

LaRae

--- littleweatherman <littleweatherman@...> wrote:

>

> I'm going to talk to my husband about NC as someone suggested that it

> was a great state and didn't get too cold. But I am also wondering

> about Texas, New Mexico and Arkansas. New Mexico says specifically in

> their statutes that Asperger's Syndrome is accepted by their DD

> department. But do they actually apply the statute as it is written

> (or does it get " reinterpreted " )?

>

> TIA

>

> C

>

May 9, 2006

>

> I live in VA Beach, VA and have had wonderful assistance here. I

can not imagine moving from this area. My husband is military and we

keep holding our breath.

>

> Lori

Dear Lori,

Forgive my ignorance of VA but what is the climate like there? I have

health issues myself and that is why I was looking for a warm

climate. We are also looking for a place that has a low cost of

living as we are living on a fixed income.

TIA

C

May 9, 2006

>

> The state of Texas does recagonize all forms of PDD as AU for

special ed purposes. But

> As a former special ed teacher and a parent of two disabled kids,

one Aspie and one LD, I

> have seen the willingness to accept AU vary depending on the size

of the school district

> and their available resources. I personally can highly recommend

Northside ISD in San

> , TX. They are fantastic with autism services for child,

parent, and whole

> family. San also has a lot of support services available

for autism. (Plus it

> never gets too cold here.) And I would recommend staying away from

Austin ISD. They

> tend to see all AU as just ADHD, at least this school year that is

the trend.

> Good luck on your search,

> LaRae

>

Thanks, LaRae for your insights. How about services from the state

of TX without going through the school? We've had to pull our son

from public school to homeschool him and if we could get services

from the department of developmental disabilities (even through the

medicaid waiver program if TX does this) that would be better. In

our state (AL) there are no services from DD because son is not also

MR. So we have to get services from the school and since we live in

a rural area, the school is not too " up to snuff " on AS and there are

no private providers around.

TIA

C

May 9, 2006

I just moved to Texas three months ago for my husbands job. I can tell you

that I was told that Texas is ranked very low #47 I believe out of the 50

states for recourses. I worked at a high school in eastern Oregon before

moving here and that is what one of my co-workers told me. He is also in

the special education department. So far the schools here are over crowded

and are building schools like crazy to keep up with the demand for them.

Where we live there is construction like mad and they are sending kids that

are new to other schools in the district. There are a couple of schools

opening up here in the fall, till then I am home schooling. Some people

that I have met here, one who has disabled children, say that the schools

suck. However I have also heard that it depends on the district that you

live in. So far I am not impressed at all!!! We will see come fall what it

is like and I will get back to you and let you know.

Janelle

-- ( ) States to Move to with Aspie Child -- TX, NM, AR

Well, I've crossed Mississippi off our list. When I was doing my

research, I came across an article that listed the top 10 worst states

to live in if you have a developmental disability. Mississippi was at

the top of the list. Georgia was there, as well as Louisiana,

Alabama, Florida and other states.

I'm going to talk to my husband about NC as someone suggested that it

was a great state and didn't get too cold. But I am also wondering

about Texas, New Mexico and Arkansas. New Mexico says specifically in

their statutes that Asperger's Syndrome is accepted by their DD

department. But do they actually apply the statute as it is written

(or does it get " reinterpreted " )?

TIA

C

May 9, 2006

--- littleweatherman <littleweatherman@...> wrote:

> Thanks, LaRae for your insights. How about services from the state

> of TX without going through the school? We've had to pull our son

> from public school to homeschool him and if we could get services

> from the department of developmental disabilities (even through the

> medicaid waiver program if TX does this) that would be better.

Texas has the medicaid waiver program availble, but there is a several years

long waiting

list. I know there are many agencies here that take medicaid or help on a

sliding scale.

We use Any Baby Can (they service to age 12, free) and Community Guidance

Center

(psychologistis and psychiatrists on a sliding scale and medicaid) and we also

have found

the local autism support group to be a fantasitic group for resources. We have

also used

ARC for respite care and parents night out (very, very, very cheap babysitting).

I know

there is also a homeschool support group for parents of autistic kids here. I

have dealt

with them since I plan to begin homeschooling in middle school, and they are a

great

source of support.

> In our state (AL) there are no services from DD because son is not also

> MR.

As far as I know, and I could be wrong, there is no DD in Texas. Our kids can

get help

from MHMR though even if they are not MR. My son had an evalution done there to

get on

the medicaid waiver waiting list. They help with all PDD things. So does ARC.

> So we have to get services from the school and since we live in a rural area,

the

> school is not too " up to snuff " on AS and there are no private providers

around.

It has been my experience that the treatment your child will get or be provided

in Texas

schools depends a great deal on where you live. I taught in a tiny rural

district for a

year and they had nothing for autistic kids anywhere near by. When I found out

my son

had AS we did our research and moved into Northside ISD so my son could have the

best in

the San area. The school he attends has an autism unit right on campus

and free

parent training every month even in the summer. They also help us to find

community

resources when he needed more help. Unfortunately the middle school in our

neighborhood

is awful allthe way around and that is why we are going to homeschool for those

years and

then send him to the high school where my husband teaches. So if you do choose

Texas, I

would highly recommend checking out the individual school districts before

deciding where

to live and I would stay away from anything rural.

LaRae

May 9, 2006

Janelle, how is Oregon with disabilities?

From what I have looked up-NM is ranked the worst schools. I also work

with someone here in AZ who came from there and she agreed. Not that

AZ is not far behind I think we are #46 or something.

Northeast schools are ranked the best, Vermont, New Hampshire, etc. I

have not checked into their special ed info yet.

I do agree that it goes by actual school district. There are some

districts here in AZ that are great. Once you find a state, look into

the school districts.

When you are done compiling your lists of states. Please post it in

whole, so we can get a better look. I am trying to keep a list but I

keep misplacing it and having to start over. Thanks!!

Cori

May 9, 2006

Hello,

I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the services are great here. My son

currently receives SSI ( big help), We also have an IEP and we have just been

approved for the DD waiver. The schools here have all been very supportive and

will always try to help out. I will give you the name and number of an

organization that helped me get all these things in order and you can talk to

them and see if you can get information sent to you. They work quickly to get

you to the right people. The group is called Parents Reaching Out ask for

( shes great). Her number is 505-247-0192.

LaRae <theothers1224@...> wrote:

--- littleweatherman <littleweatherman@...> wrote:

> Thanks, LaRae for your insights. How about services from the state

> of TX without going through the school? We've had to pull our son

> from public school to homeschool him and if we could get services

> from the department of developmental disabilities (even through the

> medicaid waiver program if TX does this) that would be better.

Texas has the medicaid waiver program availble, but there is a several years

long waiting

list. I know there are many agencies here that take medicaid or help on a

sliding scale.

We use Any Baby Can (they service to age 12, free) and Community Guidance Center

(psychologistis and psychiatrists on a sliding scale and medicaid) and we also

have found

the local autism support group to be a fantasitic group for resources. We have

also used

ARC for respite care and parents night out (very, very, very cheap babysitting).

I know

there is also a homeschool support group for parents of autistic kids here. I

have dealt

with them since I plan to begin homeschooling in middle school, and they are a

great

source of support.

> In our state (AL) there are no services from DD because son is not also

> MR.

As far as I know, and I could be wrong, there is no DD in Texas. Our kids can

get help

from MHMR though even if they are not MR. My son had an evalution done there to

get on

the medicaid waiver waiting list. They help with all PDD things. So does ARC.

> So we have to get services from the school and since we live in a rural area,

the

> school is not too " up to snuff " on AS and there are no private providers

around.

It has been my experience that the treatment your child will get or be provided

in Texas

schools depends a great deal on where you live. I taught in a tiny rural

district for a

year and they had nothing for autistic kids anywhere near by. When I found out

my son

had AS we did our research and moved into Northside ISD so my son could have the

best in

the San area. The school he attends has an autism unit right on campus

and free

parent training every month even in the summer. They also help us to find

community

resources when he needed more help. Unfortunately the middle school in our

neighborhood

is awful allthe way around and that is why we are going to homeschool for those

years and

then send him to the high school where my husband teaches. So if you do choose

Texas, I

would highly recommend checking out the individual school districts before

deciding where

to live and I would stay away from anything rural.

LaRae

May 9, 2006

Cross Arkansas off your list... My husband is active duty in the Air

Force and we are talking about trying to get reassigned. My son

didn't have a problem getting diagnosed. It was our health

insurance, sadly, that we're having trouble with. However, in

Little Rock, there is only one place to get a comprehensive

evaluation like we needed and they don't participate with Tricare.

It is difficult to conceive that in a profession were you can be

asked to put your life on the line, your son cannot obtain a

psychological evaluation without it having to be an out of pocket

expense. I hope there is a solution to getting us out of here,

preferrably Virginia or Florida.

- Dee

>

> I live in VA Beach, VA and have had wonderful assistance here. I

can not imagine moving from this area. My husband is military and

we keep holding our breath.

>

> Lori

> ( ) States to Move to with Aspie Child --

TX, NM, AR

>

> Well, I've crossed Mississippi off our list. When I was doing

my

> research, I came across an article that listed the top 10 worst

states

> to live in if you have a developmental disability. Mississippi

was at

> the top of the list. Georgia was there, as well as Louisiana,

> Alabama, Florida and other states.

>

> I'm going to talk to my husband about NC as someone suggested

that it

> was a great state and didn't get too cold. But I am also

wondering

> about Texas, New Mexico and Arkansas. New Mexico says

specifically in

> their statutes that Asperger's Syndrome is accepted by their DD

> department. But do they actually apply the statute as it is

written

> (or does it get " reinterpreted " )?

>

> TIA

>

> C

>

May 9, 2006

>

> I just moved to Texas three months ago for my husbands job. I can

tell you

> that I was told that Texas is ranked very low #47 I believe out of

the 50

> states for recourses. I worked at a high school in eastern Oregon

before

> moving here and that is what one of my co-workers told me. He is

also in

> the special education department. So far the schools here are over

crowded

> and are building schools like crazy to keep up with the demand for

them.

> Where we live there is construction like mad and they are sending

kids that

> are new to other schools in the district. There are a couple of

schools

> opening up here in the fall, till then I am home schooling. Some

people

> that I have met here, one who has disabled children, say that the

schools

> suck. However I have also heard that it depends on the district

that you

> live in. So far I am not impressed at all!!! We will see come

fall what it

> is like and I will get back to you and let you know.

>

> Janelle

>

Dear Janelle,

What part of Texas did you move to?

C

May 9, 2006

> Texas has the medicaid waiver program availble, but there is a

several years long waiting

> list. I know there are many agencies here that take medicaid or

help on a sliding scale.

> We use Any Baby Can (they service to age 12, free) and Community

Guidance Center

> (psychologistis and psychiatrists on a sliding scale and medicaid)

and we also have found

> the local autism support group to be a fantasitic group for

resources. We have also used

> ARC for respite care and parents night out (very, very, very cheap

babysitting). I know

> there is also a homeschool support group for parents of autistic

kids here. I have dealt

> with them since I plan to begin homeschooling in middle school, and

they are a great

> source of support.

>

> > In our state (AL) there are no services from DD because son is

not also

> > MR.

>

> As far as I know, and I could be wrong, there is no DD in Texas.

Our kids can get help

> from MHMR though even if they are not MR. My son had an evalution

done there to get on

> the medicaid waiver waiting list. They help with all PDD things.

So does ARC.

>

> > So we have to get services from the school and since we live in a

rural area, the

> > school is not too " up to snuff " on AS and there are no private

providers around.

>

> It has been my experience that the treatment your child will get or

be provided in Texas

> schools depends a great deal on where you live. I taught in a tiny

rural district for a

> year and they had nothing for autistic kids anywhere near by. When

I found out my son

> had AS we did our research and moved into Northside ISD so my son

could have the best in

> the San area. The school he attends has an autism unit

right on campus and free

> parent training every month even in the summer. They also help us

to find community

> resources when he needed more help. Unfortunately the middle

school in our neighborhood

> is awful allthe way around and that is why we are going to

homeschool for those years and

> then send him to the high school where my husband teaches. So if

you do choose Texas, I

> would highly recommend checking out the individual school districts

before deciding where

> to live and I would stay away from anything rural.

>

> LaRae

>

Thanks, LaRae for your insights. Right now our son is middle-school

age. We live in a rural area of AL but our local school is ranked #5

in the state (it is a good school for typical kids). At the time we

moved here, we looked for a good school system. However, we didn't

know about our son -- his dx was only adhd and we were told this was

something he would outgrow. He was finally dx'd between 1st & 2nd

grade as having AS and we discovered that this was a lifelong

condition. He was the first in this school system to receive such a

dx and the school doesn't know what to do with a child who is so

impacted by a disability, but who is also incredibly smart. He just

doesn't fit their mold.

So how would you as a teacher suggest we go about researching

individual school districts? Finding good school systems through

such data bases like NCLB creates and then calling the local autism

society to see if they are in fact good systems? Are local schools

willing to talk to parents about their programs for high functioning

kids?

That is what I've discovered -- just because a school has good test

scores, and a good facility, and a sound operating budget, doesn't

mean that the school is going to be responsive to your

child's " individual needs " . So that is why I'm looking for a state

with resources not geared through the school system. And also a

state that has resources available once the child becomes an adult if

that child cannot be trained to be independent.

Thanks for your help.

C

May 9, 2006

>

> Janelle, how is Oregon with disabilities?

>

> From what I have looked up-NM is ranked the worst schools. I also

work

> with someone here in AZ who came from there and she agreed. Not

that

> AZ is not far behind I think we are #46 or something.

>

> Northeast schools are ranked the best, Vermont, New Hampshire, etc.

I

> have not checked into their special ed info yet.

>

> I do agree that it goes by actual school district. There are some

> districts here in AZ that are great. Once you find a state, look

into

> the school districts.

>

> When you are done compiling your lists of states. Please post it in

> whole, so we can get a better look. I am trying to keep a list but

I

> keep misplacing it and having to start over. Thanks!!

>

> Cori

>

Dear Cori,

I hope to post another overall list when all the info is compiled.

But I have discovered that just because the state has an overall low

ranking on test results that doesn't mean that there aren't good

schools in that state. However, the reverse is also true -- just

because a school has good test scores, and a good facility, and a

sound operating budget, doesn't mean that the school is going to be

responsive to your child's " individual needs " . So that is why I'm

looking for a state with resources not geared through the school

system. And also a state that has resources available once the child

becomes an adult if that child cannot be trained to be independent.

The article I did find online listed the top 10 worst states to be in

if you had a developmental disability -- whether or not you could get

services or even if there were services.

I know that there are quite a lot of colder states with good services

for aspies, but a colder state is out of the question with my own

health conditions.

C

May 9, 2006

>

> I knew someone who used to live in NC, and he said the school

system was bad

> there, not sure but that's just what I heard, he said the kids who

have no

> troubles, do not even get a good basic education and rated the

state as well

> below average for public education.......have you checked into

Oklahoma? (just

> trying to think of some warmer states) Nevada? maybe Kansas?

Tennessee? How

> about South Carolina??????

>

Thanks for your ideas. I have checked into Nevada and they are not a

good state for aspies. I have not checked into Oklahoma, Kansas or

Tennessee as I lived in southern Missouri for many years and cannot

take the cold there anymore and it is my understanding (correct me if

I am wrong) that these states have similar climates to southern

Missouri. I have not heard anything about SC -- anybody out there

from SC?

C

May 9, 2006

>

> Hello,

>

> I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the services are great

here. My son currently receives SSI ( big help), We also have an IEP

and we have just been approved for the DD waiver. The schools here

have all been very supportive and will always try to help out. I will

give you the name and number of an organization that helped me get

all these things in order and you can talk to them and see if you

can get information sent to you. They work quickly to get you to the

right people. The group is called Parents Reaching Out ask for

( shes great). Her number is 505-247-0192.

Thank you Ana about the NM info! Up in Albuquerque you get snow,

right? If so, is the southern part of the state warm like southern

Arizona? How about schools in rural areas? Are there good

schools/services in rural areas or do you need to be close to a more

urban center?

C

May 9, 2006

The weather here in Albuquerque is nice and warm. We get snow MAYBE once a year,

so my answer would be no we don't really get snow at least here in Albuquerque.

As far as schools in rural areas I haven't really had to deal with them. But I

can tell you that a lot of the groups and organizations are located here in the

city. Keep us up to date and let me know where you end up going.

Thanks

littleweatherman <littleweatherman@...> wrote: