Lately, we’ve been seeing a lot of buzz on the internet, and in chat groups, about all the people relocating into our DFW area. We have so many new families moving into the area. And with them comes our special needs families.
Families Moving To Texas
Many of these families are moving across the country to a brand-new state. Special needs programs are wildly different from state to state. These new families will have to do a lot of research to match up to their previous state’s services and programs with what Texas offers.
Your Criteria
When families move they commonly want to know what the best school system is so that they can live in that town. This is a complex question. Families have to think about what their criteria are for the “best” school. My criteria for “best” may be completely different from someone else on my street, even if that child has the same diagnosis as mine. You will need to list your priorities to make sure you find a school that will meet your needs.
I have seen such a variety of answers when people ask, “What school district should my kids be in?” One parent will say “Oh, I absolutely love school district A” but soon another parent will come along and insist that district A was the worst school system they had ever been in. This is why knowing your personal criteria is so important so that you will be able to tell if someone’s experience will be relevant to you or not.
Special Needs Facebook Groups
Lately, we have seen many, many parents communicating about this issue. We have seen parents of special needs children go into Facebook groups, post on blogs, in chat rooms, all talking about their experiences with particular schools and school districts. If you are moving to this area, reach out to ask the parents who live in the areas you are considering moving to. Ask them where they go for services, and for school. Ask them if there are special needs private schools available in the area. Ask them how the public schools are.
I encourage you to figure out what your personal criteria are for the “best” school system. Once you’ve done that, join Facebook groups and other groups where people are knowledgeable about schools in the areas you are considering. Then make sure you’ve done your research to find out what state programs and services will be available to you.
Your Next Step
Moving to a new community is challenging. Please don’t hesitate to ask us if there is any way we can help you make the transition.
