Best place to move for autism services (child and adult)?

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Hello all! I was hoping some of you could share your insight. Our toddler was diagnosed with autism a year ago. We live in TX and don't have much reason to live here (we are not originally from TX, family is scattered throughout the country). I'm trying to research the top 3-4 locations/states to consider for moving for our son's long term future (i.e. therapy/education for his childhood and resources/programs for his adulthood). We want to move somewhere we can stay permanently. I'm hearing good things about Boston, but want to know if that's really the best and whether there are other places that are comparable or better. We are getting ABA using our insurance and didn't plan on using the public school system for another 2 years, however that is partly because 1:1 ABA is not really in the schools here and because services are not great here.

So, what are the top few places to live for child/adult autism services? If mentioning a state, is there a particular area to look into? I know cost of living will be much greater than in TX, but that's ok.

Vermont! The services were excellent there. I taught in Colchester, VT for a while. They had full inclusion, with lots of little hiddy rooms for quiet time. And the adult services in Vermont are pretty good too. I always said that if I had my own child with disabilities, or I went off the deep end myself, I would move to Vermont.

I am native to NJ. Actually, the child services here in Jersey are pretty good, from an objective standpoint. But subjectively, I don't like them as much. They are much more focused on behaviorism and results-orientated, which I find to be sterile at best and inching towards abuse at worst. The adult services in NJ are abhorant - a human rights violation IMO.

Because Utah once had the highest rate of autism diagnoses in the United States, it quickly established several beneficial educational and governmental programs for autistic children. The state's health laws include certain diagnostic and medical services available to families with autistic children ( http://health.utah.gov/ltc/asd/Files/Ac ... 7%2015.pdf ). The state's educational laws include certain protections to ensure a "free appropriate public education" to autistic students, and in the next few weeks is ready to adopt three new state laws which would provide for "a school or local education agency to communicate certain information with the parent or legal guardian of a student who may have a disability ( http://le.utah.gov/~2017/bills/static/SB0059.html )," "specific communication between private schools and local education agencies, and between private schools and parents or legal guardians, regarding students with disabilities ( http://le.utah.gov/~2017/bills/static/SB0060.html )" and "distribution of any appropriations to the State Board of Education for reimbursement for certain services rendered to a student with an autism spectrum disorder ( http://le.utah.gov/~2017/bills/static/SB0061.html )."

Beyond governmental and educational supports, many communities, organizations and local businesses have autism-friendly, supportive, policies. The University of Utah enjoys the very knowledgeable diagnostic clinic "Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic" which is part of a larger autism-specific Medicaid-funded medical clinic and specializes in sensory sensitive autistic children by offering calm and quiet dental and health care. The campus Center for Disabilty and Access ( http://disability.utah.edu/students/acc ... es.php#asd ) includes an ASD Support Group for students who have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The group meets regularly throughout the semester and is available to any U of U student who would be interested.

At the smaller Utah Valley University, autistic students and potential autism-related clinicians interact through an array of autism-specialized courses and degrees to assist each other. The campus will soon open its Melisa Nellesen Center For Autism ( https://www.uvu.edu/autism/ ) to serve as the campus' primary autism facility.

Many Utah churches including the Church of Jesus Christs of Latter-day Saints and the Utah Episcopal Diocese is autism friendly and offers many autistic-friendly services and programs.

In other words, Utah is quite familiar with autism and the children and adults with autism diagnoses.

I'm not a parent, nor am I an American, but I'd like to suggest that services are likely fairly standardized internationally. If I had the financial ability to relocate I would choose the place based on the zeitgeist of the community, rather than on specific program availability.

I would say that you may want to be wary of ABA as it can damage a child's psyche permanently. It's a cost benefit juggle; the balance being stuck somewhere between good behaviour and natural self-expression.

Finally, if I were you I'd get the Hell out of Texas, but I'll take that to PPR.

Thank you! That's really eye-opening about NJ. We definitely want to be somewhere where we will feel he will be in safe hands when we are no longer around.

Aspie Utah, thank you so much for the detailed info (and all the links). I had no idea about Utah, but some of those services sound so amazing (a clinic that does dental care in a sensory friendly way, university support, etc). I need to look more into Utah!

I did not know that Utah had a high concentration of kids with ASD, I wonder why that is.

We are definitely going to get out of Texas! Unfortunately services in the US are not equal state to state, hence our desire to leave TX (which isn't really as bad as SOME states, but certainly lacking compared to others).

I am wary of ABA and wish my son didn't need it. However it's the only thing we have found to work for him. In fact, I've had to send non-ABA therapists (i.e. speech) to his ABA school just so he would feel like his speech sessions were time to learn instead of a time for stimming and wandering around ignoring the therapist trying to get him interested in playing.

You are welcome. Utah is one of the original eight CDC sampling states in the United States to determine the once-growing rate of diagnoses. Nobody really knows why Utah's autism rate was the highest in the nation. Researchers suspect that Utahns care more about getting autistic children diagnosed and registered (this is probably owing to the grassroots awareness and communication channels among Utah's local and religious communities) But, we are now ranking fourth in the nation.

From that, the Utah Legislature has done some remarkable things to help families and individuals with autism.

It's great Utah is stepping up to address the need. If only the rest of the country would catch up in the midst of the increasing autism rates.

I have been thinking, what do I do differently from other parents?

Other parents look outwards for solutions. I look inwards.

Other parents run around and talk, I am pretty much quiet and do things silently with my hands.

Other parents seek treatments for their children. I look at my children as my teachers. I have high reverence for my children. Matter of fact, I have high reverence for all children on the spectrum, no matter their condition.

I think I have failed at communicating my message to other parents. I have been saying things way above their heads. I need to simplify.

So, here is my new message: cut a piece of tape, put it over your mouth. Now, all you have is your brain and your hands. Communicate with your children. That's all.

That's the total cost of autism. Let's see. 30 yards of tape cost $3, that's 10 cents per yard (36 inches). You only need 3.5 inches, so that's about 1 penny. For 1 penny in US money, you can solve autism. And your children will grow up happy and smart.

There are some places in the south that are very slow to get on board, but about 40 states are roughly the same. You can never really get a good answer to this for one reason...it comes down to the individual teachers. In the same district you can have an unbelievably amazing special ed teacher and an ridiculously horrible one.
Washington State has been pretty good. Our teacher sucks but they're trying.

From other aspie parents VT MD UT . I am in AZ ans Gilbert Schools District has had a very successful program for decades. My son is thriving surprisingly in the little ghost town of about 2000 population that I landed in while homeless and looking for an option.The Little school has on/off model ( a classroom dedicated mixed with classes mixed with their homeroom cohorts. He was allowed to choose his preferred call name, he has peers reading with him, eating with him, greeting him in local public places like pizza place or the Dollar General.
SAARC is based here so if you can get him in the magnate school at the Uni (Tempe) he can get cutting edge training .
His specialist here prescribed him for dog, music therapy, hippotherapy and some other unusual stimulation program.
Even supported me while I was out of state on his need for a service animal (he is one that responded well to music, and a creature that requires some direct interaction to be at ease. Florida was MEH, NC was EEEK. I homeschooled him 2 of our 4 years there it was so bad. Affordability of housing can be a big factor, most the best places also have rather pricey housing.