Relocation

Post Reply New Topic

Hi there,

I'm new to the forum, and relatively new to the Aspie world. My 4 1/2 year old son was just diagnosed in January with Aspergers, although I was pretty sure that he would be diagnosed for about half a year before that. We underwent a year of testing, evaluation & lots of waiting before he got the diagnosis.

DS is quite high-functioning. His academic skills are excellent, his language skills are also very good (I suspect he may have hyperlexia). On the ADOS, he measured "mildly atypical" on many categories, and in the normal range on some. So, he does function quite well. He has some gross and fine motor skill issues, some sensory issues, and problems with social skills and emotional regulation. On the whole, he manages change well if there's lots of preparation.

Our family is currently facing a major decision, and I'd appreciate any experience the parents here can offer. We are currently living in a very small town, which means travel of 1/2 to 2 hours for appointments with SLP, OT, PT, and his specialist. He may or may not have an EA when he's in school, dependent on what level of funding he receives. We are currently in the process of getting some respite set up, and DS is attending preschool 2 days a week (where he has a one-to-one worker to support his social interaction).

So here's the decision to be made... relocation to Texas, which would mean a new country. We would be in an urban center, which hopefully would mean more access to services that are hard to get in our rural area. We're really struggling with figuring out if this would be best for our ds & our family. My parents are snowbirds, so we would likely see them about as much as we do now, but my dh's parents would no longer live nearby. We'd need to form new social connections, and hopefully be able to find a parent support group to make connections with other families who have aspie kids.

Can anyone offer feedback on how the school system in the US supports kids with Aspergers? Also, I'd appreciate any information people can offer on the medical system for kids with Aspergers? We've had long waits in Canada, but have gotten OT, PT, SLP, and ds has a pediatric developmental specialist (all of which is covered by medicare). We're looking into working with an RDI (relationship development intervention) therapist, which we would have to pay for. What insurance issues do we need to be aware of?

Finally, I'd appreciate comments on relocation... have you relocated your family? How did your aspie kids adjust?

Thanks so much! I am so grateful for having found a place to talk with other parents who are living the life

Shauna

Hi Shauna!

I'm in Texas - way up in West Texas though where it's two hours to the next town the same middling size of the one I'm in

Sounds like you are thinking about moving to a more urban area, and many of them here are good. I will say (although this is a generalization which I do prefer to avoid) that I've only heard bad things about Austin relative to schools, etc. Ft. worth and San Antonio are supposed to be really good.

We are actually from the NE, PA to be exact. We moved when DS was 4, long before we had a dx. He handled the move better than I expected, I think the thrill of riding in the big moving truck was a big offset to his panic. We played a lot of games and generally made it a happy experience. We've moved twice since then, the first one was a two hour move and he didn't handle that one nearly so well, but within a week he was back to "normal". The last move was 2 blocks, and he had no problem at all, because he could ride over to look at the new place as much as he wanted on his bike, so it felt like "home" before it even was.

If you are going to be working for an employer with a decent insurance plan, then you may get pretty good coverage. Most insurance in the US however has very limited coverage for therapies that are only meant to improve or maintain, not cure.

As for the schools, depending on the district you may have to fight it but there are avenues you can follow, laws that are on your side, so that your child gets the accomodations he needs/deserves.

Good Luck!

Thanks so much for the information. We actually are looking at the Austin area If you have any suggestions about how I could get information about specific schools (any recommendations for schools that do a better job of meeting special needs), I'd appreciate it.

Do kids with an AS diagnosis receive OT & speech therapy as part of their IEP? What about an aide in the classroom?

In Canada, one of the supports we will be receiving is funding for respite care...so that we can get a break, and ds can be with a caring & competent adult. Do insurance companies cover this type of support or is it a private service that parents need to search out and pay for?

We may be relocated by my dh's current employer, and health insurance would be part of the negotiations. I'm sure we'll need to really sit down with an insurance agent before we make any decision, because having support services is an essential part of our lives. I certainly would not feel good about moving if it would mean less support!

Sorry for so many questions. I'm new to the world of Autism in Canada...so thinking about navigating my way around a completely new system is rather intimidating. Fortunately, the move would likely mean (financially) that I could stay-at-home until we are well settled in.

Shauna,

We've moved four times with our DS, twice after his diagnosis at your son's age. Like aspiesmom1, we are from the NE, specifically Pittsburgh, PA, where the services are incredibly good. Right after our DS's diagnosis, we moved to California. We also had looked at moving to Houston, TX, but realized quickly that our son would have been put into a remote part of whatever school he was in with all the other children with disabilities -- there's a real archaic outlook in Houston about how to handle disabilities (at least from our research). So I wouldn't suggest Houston, but I've heard good things about Austin.

We left California after a year because our experience trying to get our son services there was just awful.

Coming back to Pittsburgh, we received all the services that we were requesting in California, but would rarely get, or maybe would never receive without a lawsuit. My son has had a full-time aide in first and second grade, and then random aides in third and fourth, and then no need for an aide in fifth. That's the way it should be. He has had WONDERFUL speech therapy with a woman who worked hard on pragmatic language AND social skills. He has occupational therapy once a month, which seems unnecessary for him, but might be helpful for other children. All of this is included as part of his IEP.

Services provided by the state are social skills classes, for a total of six hours per week. We had good behavioral services in California, but decided that the fight with the school district wasn't worth it.

Do as much research on the internet as you can, especially looking for parent support groups in Austin, as the parents will provide the best information to you as to how to deal with the school, state provided services, and possibly even insurance. If you have a house-hunting trip out to Austin, try and make it coincide with the same time as a parent support group meeting.

Good luck! Your son sounds great!

Kris

You can get a lot of services through an IEP, including OT/PT and speech services. My son received speech from kindie through 3rd for apraxia, then again mid4th through 5th for pragmatics.

A lot depends on the district as far as how hard you may have to work to get these services. Check out www.wrightslaw.com for what you are entitled to. When you get to Texas you can also check with your state legislature and local health and human services office on other available benefits.