possibly relocating to MA...good idea? Massachusetts has some of the best services and medical centers available for autism. I sent you a PM. Massachusetts does have some of the best services, but it is very dependent on where you live.  Some school districts are great, others are horrible.  I would recommend you figure out a general area that you are considering and research those towns very carefully.  Also, realize that some towns have great programs in the lower grades, but not yet in the middle and high schools as those grades have not had the same numbers of kids on the spectrum, yet.  [QUOTE=ctmom]Massachusetts does have some of the best services, but it is very dependent on where you live.  Some school districts are great, others are horrible.  I would recommend you figure out a general area that you are considering and research those towns very carefully.  Also, realize that some towns have great programs in the lower grades, but not yet in the middle and high schools as those grades have not had the same numbers of kids on the spectrum, yet.  [/QUOTE] how would you recommend finding the best towns? I wouldn't even know where to start to determine this It is tough to be certain which towns are better than others- I would ask, ask and ask- Call the local autism support groups and talk to parents, call spedwatch, contact rescue angels from generation rescue that live in the area, make sure you talk with people or get a feel for how the district is for the level of autism that your child has-  a district that is great with nonverbal kids may or may not be so great with aspergers.  Call local private sped schools and see if you can get any information.  Call the school district directly- although any info is likely biased, you may get a feel.  There are no guarantees.  In general the larger cities do not offer as much as the wealther small towns, but that is not always true, just a sad generalization.  We moved to a town that is great with younger kids, but have come to realize that they have a long ways to go for older kids, we are hoping change will come before our youngest gets there, otherwise we may move again. Good luck to you SPEDWatch launches Southeastern MA Chapter! SPEDWatch, the nonprofit special education watchdog group that is fighting to secure the educational rights of all Massachusetts schoolchildren with disabilities, is launching a Southeastern MA SPEDWatch Chapter to serve the counties of Norfolk, Plymouth and Bristol! There are 209 SPEDWatch members, and over 43,000 children on IEPs, residing in the counties of Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth. It’s time to start harnessing the power of our numbers by joining forces in our own neighborhoods to confront the educational neglect our students with disabilities have suffered for so long. For more information about the SEMass Chapter contact Southeastern Chapter Co-Chair  Beth Pino-Mauch beth@themauchs.com I'm looking into relocating outside of Boston for services. My son is 12 now and we currently are in SC with no real help. He has Aspergers and Sensory Integration. I HAVE to move. I had spoken with a mom who moved from TX to somewhere south of Boston. I spoke with the NE Aspergers Association about a year ago and they were hugely helpful.  What areas of MA are good for resources? I really think my son needs intensive therapy for a while - maybe at a specialized school. DS has only ever really gotten speech therapy for pronunciation and small class setting.  Currently - due to an incident back in the fall he is at an alternative setting to be transitioned back. I'm thinking if he were in that setting when I relocate in May/ June maybe my chances of having the district place him somewhere would be greater?  I found the NE Center for Children. It looks amazing. Does anyone know about it? Or how often districts send kids to the specialized schools? I don't know how I'm going to afford to live in the area, let alone pay any tuition.  Are there any more affordable but amazing school district (for special ed) areas I should consider? Thank you, I'm desperate to finally get my son real help. Hi Miranova,       Do you know someone who has a child similar to yours in the area you are looking at, and they are getting appropriate help?  If you are moving, ( I think I should too, next door to you in NC) it would only be worth the trouble if you go where you can really get the right kind of help.  I am hoping things work out for you.  Concernedpa. Not so much, that's what I am trying to find...
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