Best county in DMV for families with ASD kids

[Anonymous]

Finally, my husband is open to move from Calvert where there is almost no services for kids with autism. I heard that Montgomery is the best county in DMV. Is that true? Trying to think both short and long term for my 7 year old son with moderate to severe autism.

[Anonymous]

We live in Montgomery County, and while there is a wait for services due to post-pandemic backlogs, we've been so happy to be back! We were living elsewhere which was a bit of a nightmare because of lack of availability. We have a different diagnosis, but medically complex, and I feel we are in a great place for kids with differences. You might check out the XMinds group, the groups.io group MC Needs, and the Facebook group for moms (and dads) of Special Needs kids in Montgomery County.

There are definitely folks who still complain about it, one thing to consider is maybe moving physically close to a great high school. That seems like a spot that a lot of parents struggle with. Although there is lots of school choice and specialized programs, the distance to some of them is overwhelming for some families when it comes to long bus rides.

One thing I love about where we live is that kids with differences can participate in A LOt of different activities. This was a challenge for us before that I feel has really been address living down county and close-in to have access to things in the city too.

We live right next to a creek with awesome playgrounds, and excellent trail access. So it is a tradeoff living in a (more urban) suburban community compared to being a bit more spread out, but I feel it's great for my kid in terms of the other kids in his life.

If I were having to move now, I think it would be important to hear great things about my kids elelmentary school from other moms with kids who have special needs. That way if your child ends up in a Self Contained Class you have more reassurance it's a good one.

All the best to you whatever you decide. It seems like a lot to take on, but worth it for your child in the long run.

[Anonymous]

Agree that Montgomery county is very good, but Howard county also seems to have very good programming. Fairfax also has a good reputation.

[Anonymous]

MCPS has autism and Asperger's programs. Depending on your child's needs, they also have the GT/LD program (gifted, talented and learning disabled), which welcomes a lot of ADHD/HFA kids.

We've been very happy with MCPS and GT/LD. I suggest you do your research to see which program fits your child best, and move inbounds for one of those clusters that offer it. If the houses there are too expensive or not on your commute route or otherwise feasible, you can move close by, then during the IEP meetings, request that your child enroll in one of them. They will be bused to that school. We live just outside the cluster that my son goes to, and we wished our other neurotypical kids could also attend that cluster, because it's actually better overall than the one we live in. However, we love our house/neighborhood and don't want to move!

[Anonymous]

We're in DC but my son goes to school and gets most of his support in Montgomery County. There seems to be a very strong community of ASD families and ASD-friendly businesses, schools, places of worship, etc. I know that we certainly feel most comfortable as a SN family in MoCo.

[Anonymous]

I think you'll find there's a lot of similarities between the Montgomery, Arlington, Fairfax, etc. counties. They offer about the same things and challenges - a school, or even grade, may be fabulous one year but, with a change of staff, can tank the next - and vice versa. For me, I'd focus on affordability and commute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Finally, my husband is open to move from Calvert where there is almost no services for kids with autism. I heard that Montgomery is the best county in DMV. Is that true? Trying to think both short and long term for my 7 year old son with moderate to severe autism.

MCPS might have a lot of good programs but the county has changed a lot. If you agree with the placement MCPS recommends, you are in good shape. If you have to fight the county for any reason, you are in for a true nightmare. They are well funded and have top attorneys who can fight against parents who argue for more services or different placements.

We aren't leaving this county for a number of reasons but right now I wish I lived somewhere else where they would provide the services my child deserves and is legally entitled to (though they will still fight this)

[Anonymous]

by the way, this is PP. I am not trying to be a naysayer...this county has a lot to offer. But I was in for a very rude awakening when I had to fight for more /different services and a new placement for my DC.

I am just hoping to offer an additional perspective so that if you choose MCPS as a place to live, you go in with both eyes open.

[Anonymous]

Specifically for moderate to severe, MCPS is supposed to be very good. For a mainstreamed child no way.