Autism Services in Florida

[s&k'smom]

Hi guys, was wondering if any of you live in Florida, specifically the Orange County area. We are just beginning to explore moving but don't know if it's worth it considering the excellent services my Ds with autism, anxiety gets here. But it is also becoming so expensive to live around here. I have some real concerns about public school services in Florida and wonder what others may have experienced. Thanks a million.

 

[dclfun]

Florida has very little in terms of services for children with disabilities and nothing at all for adults ( zero hours for home care services, etc). My daughter works with autistic children and to find a place she felt had a good treatment facility she moved to Boston to work after graduating from U.F. ----Kathy

 

[s&k'smom]

That seems to be the consensus in all the research we have been doing. WOW is all I can seem to think.

 

[mlwear]

No personal experience, but have also researched for FL for moving purposes and from what I read and heard from others is that sp. ed. services are below average.

 

[dsmom]

I hate to discourage you but services here are HORRIBLE! I have lived in Florida all my life and now have a seven year old severely autistic son and I am really ashamed of my state. The waiting list for medwaivers- last time I checked is 14.000 plus. The only thing we get from medicaid is three hours a week speech and OT. Doing some research I found out Florida ranked 49th out of 50 states for autism/disability services. Something really needs to be done here.

 

[michelle9343]

I moved to Fla from NY 3 yrs ago. My DD is not autistic but severly delayed hasa very rare genetic disorder . We live in Lake county and the school system Suc--. I have been living a nightmare. I have heard that there are some really good schools in the winter park area(Orange county)I know that it is really hard to find good info on the web. I am still really happy we moved to Fla, but my DD will never develope past about a 36 month old and will never speak. So quality of life is the most important factor to me.If I had to do it all over again I would still move to Fla but I would of look deeper into the school system. When I came down to check out her school before we moved I thought it was great. Good luck.

 

[mlwear]

It breaks my heart to read about kids not getting decent services. States that spend more $ on children with disabilites early in their lives statistically spend less for them as adults as they have better developed and learned to be more independent, are ready for a vocation, etc.

Wow! I thought VA was bad with the medicaid waiver list! We've been waiting 4 years and will wait who knows how long. But, our list isn't that long. We get nothing from the state except a social worker who tells us we are on the list. We do get a tiny bit of help from County Community Services, which is listed as a non-profit. 24 hours of respite care payment per quarter. Their payment is less than what we actually have to pay, but it's better than nothing. They are giving us an extra 50 hours this summer to help with the cost of respite/tutoring. It will pay about 1/3 of our cost. Our local ARC is paying for a camp.

As far as school goes, and this is back to the thread topic, in theory you should be able to get whatever your child needs from the school regardless of where you are. They all must comply with the federal laws. Easier said than done. Here our son gets a lot in our County compared to most other kids, but it is because we have fought endlessly and have paid thousands of dollars for private help. The school system knows that we are reasonable and will try to work with them, but we will get what our son needs and have the money to hire an attorney and take it all the way (isn't it sad, that it has to be like that). There is another child in DS's class who got an accomodation that the school said was structurally impossible to us. I guess his parents had bigger guns. My point, if you must move to FL, you might want to not only look at the school but check into having advocates, doctors, possibly a special ed. attorney ready to go to be sure the IEP is implemented.
BTW, someone here may correct me if I am mistaken. But my understanding of IDEA changes makes it even more clear that the school district that you move to follow the IEP your child has from the old school. If you are at a helpful school now, you can work hard on an ironclad IEP that gives no wiggle room. Be sure words are defined and not left for interpretation. Everything is super precise. Specific and lots of accomodations. That would buy you some time at the new school to get your ducks in a row before the next IEP.

 

[s&k'smom]

Wow you guys, you've given me a lot to think about. Thanks I knew I could count on you.

 

[tacomaranch]

We applied for the waiver and had to wait for about 6 months from the time we applied to the time we were approved. The big part of the wait was the psychologist took almost 2 months to get the report in.

Wyoming gave us a huge waiver, 28K, but again, no services. They don't have early intervention, no behavior therapy and speech is .5 hour once a week.

We have had to go to an advocacy group to help us with the Child Development Center to get appropriate services for our son.

I just asked mom yesterday, how can our autistic son, a child with CP, a child with hearing loss and you pick any other disease all need the same 2.5 hours of preschool twice a week? That is all we are offered here and it is the same for each child no matter what! URG!

I agree completely that if the STates would put up the money now for early intervention they would save later as the children would not have total reliance on services if they could develop skill while little.

I have a friend who is moving to PA because she can't even get the RX's she needs filled for her son here. It is totally pathetic!

I have put together a home based ABA program for our son for the summer. The cost out of my pocket 6K! plus. It doesn't seem like a lot but I don't work. This is a service ordered for my son by the psychologist that the state won't provide.

AGain, URG! What is the answer?

April
Oh yea, we leave tomorrow for Disney world, but I am not excited, just exhausted

 

[s&k'smom]

Oh I think we are going to stay we're we are!!!! I guess I never realized just how different it can be state to state. You'd think in this day and age states would do all the could for our kids.

 

[msgrimm23]

I work with autistic children in ny and plan on moving to floridia the only thing i found was in jacksonville. it is a clinic that carbon has for verbal behavior. I will keep looking as i am going to move down there soon if i can't find anything i think im going to be come board certified in aba and open something down there it sounds like floridia needs help

 

[s&k'smom]

DH and I talked last night and decided we should wait until DS is older, I am just so disappointed that a child with differering abilities cannot get even some of the basic needs met that I frankly take for granted living where I am. So much for no child being left behind!

 

[MommytoMJM]

I can also vouch for the no services for kids in FL...sigh. We came from CA 2 years ago and except for WDW being here, we really get nothing....I am actually planning on homeschooling MJ because of it.

 

[MommytoMJM]

I work with autistic children in ny and plan on moving to floridia the only thing i found was in jacksonville. it is a clinic that carbon has for verbal behavior. I will keep looking as i am going to move down there soon if i can't find anything i think im going to be come board certified in aba and open something down there it sounds like floridia needs help

That would really, really rock.