Services in California? | Autism PDD

I'd definitely need to investigate the SD as well as what is offered from birth to 3, since my son will likely be 3 before this would happen, and I am expecting another baby this winter and we'd like to be prepared just in case he is also on the spectrum.  Thanks for all the info so far!  I'd definitely consider So. Cal as well as the Santa Rosa and Northern areas.  

I live near Eureka, it's very mild here. A lot of rain and fog, but not tons of sun!

Hey Friends,

 I have been told (by someone who works there) that in Lodi (which is I thought near Tahoe~ I live in different state) the school district was successfully sued by parents for not providing ABA and the district now sends kids to CVAP, Central Valley Autism Project which is 1 OF 12 LOVAAS SITES. From what I gather, parents don't pay to have pretty much worlds best ABA habilitators. I am not sure the exact school district but I bet it wouldn't be too hard to find.

[QUOTE=MamaKat]Stay away from the monster sized school districts (too difficult to
navigate special ed.) and research both the school district as well as the
regional center that will be serving you. [/QUOTE]

I don't agree with this.  Large school districts have deep pockets, and if you know what you are doing, it is much easier to get them to provide services than it is in many smaller districts with limited funds that will fight you tooth and nail over every penny.  I have an extremely high functioning Aspie son who receives both Regional Center services as well as an excellent education through Los Angeles Unified School district, one of the largest districts in the country.  Yes I've had to fight (one mediation settlement, and another Due Process filing that was settled over the phone), but generally speaking, they are a big, noisy animal that likes to push you once to see what happens.  There hope is that you will slink off into the night.  But if you push back, it has been my experience that they fold like a house of cards.

I've been absolutely thrilled with the services my son has received here in So Cal over the past 6 years.  Sorry, I can't be of any help with No Cal info, but if you ever become interested in So Cal, don't hesitate to drop me a line.

I also wanted to add, that from what I've read on this board, Kern County is one part of California that should be avoided at all costs as far as services go.

I live in Northern California, in Humboldt County. We have great services here and I am so happy with them. We go through the Regional center. What part of California are you thinking of moving to?

[QUOTE=mollyalexis]What part of California are you thinking of moving to?[/QUOTE]

She said Santa Rosa earlier in this thread.  That's quite a bit south of you, no?  Guess I need to get out my map of California

Generally speaking, thhe further north you go, the more seasonal the weather will be.  Also, north of Sacramento, in places like Auborn, Nevada City, Grass Valley, Truckee and the Californina side of Lake Tahoe are rustic and charming areas.  Gold Rush country!  There is still a lot of land to cover north of San Francisco, so you might want to check that out.  Somewhere close to Oregon?

For us, anywhere in Nor Cal that is NOT HOT - preferably somewhere with seasons of some kind - any suggestions? I am also from SoCal so I not going to be much help with resources up
north.I would start looking at parent forums and start asking specific
questions about each individual school district of the cities that you are
considering.
I would also see if enough private venders are available in that area as well.
Here is one organization to try. It is parents helping parents.
http://www.php.com/Hello... I am brand new to this board, I have a 25 month old son who was dx'd at 19 months with ASD.  We currently live in Florida, but are getting very little in the way of services here, we pay quite a bit out of pocket for a minimal amt of therapy.    We are considering moving to CA, I have some family there and from what I understand, it is one of the best states for services. Anyone live in CA who can recommend their EI program and/or school district?   If not, does anyone  have any ideas on how I could find out this info?

Thanks!

I am really happy with my services in CA. But, it is a big state. Each
region has it's own regional center that provides services above and
beyond what the school district offers. Some of the regional centers
house parent resource groups who can help direct you through the
process and reccommend services in your area.

In some areas, the most mildly affected children are getting turned down
for services due to the system being so impacted these days. But, parent
advocates and educational counselors abound to help make sure that
doesn't happen to you.

Regional centers "vendor" with many different privately run therapies,
clinics, and programs, so there is a wide choice of providers--the closer
you live to the suburbs and the city, the more choices you have.

While there are certainly parents unhappy with their services--it happens
everywhere, I haven't heard any HORROR stories like the ones I hear on
this board from other areas--, no services, no appropriate placements,
ridiculously inadquate IEPs.....   Things all in all seem relatively all right
here. Stay away from the monster sized school districts (too difficult to
navigate special ed.) and research both the school district as well as the
regional center that will be serving you. I live in San Diego and I think it is the best for services....The Regional Center is the best place to start until your child turns 2 1/2...San Diego Unified and Poway Unified are the best!!!Hi there are quite a few of us in Ca. on this board. Regional Center is the EI
here but services vary depending on the regional center. There are good
services here but you will usually fight for ABA. What part of California are
you looking at?I too am interested in California, only northern, though. Southern is too hot and crowded, but I am thinking of Nor Cal at some point, though it would purely depend on services there...We are looking at the Santa Rosa area, Northern CA, as that is where my family lives... but we are just starting this process, our main goal honestly is to provide the best opportunity for advancement for our son.  My dh is a general contractor, so he'd prefer to be in an area of growth, but he could find work pretty much anywhere if need be.


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