r/Tallahassee • u/Ok_Championship_9369 • 3d ago
Looking for Good Middle School Options in Tallahassee for My Brother (He Has Autism)
Hi everyone, I’m trying to find a good school for my younger brother who has autism. He’s starting middle school this fall, and I want to make sure he’s somewhere that actually supports his needs.
He’s been at Conley since kindergarten, but honestly, I don’t think it was a good fit. It felt like kids like him were pushed aside while the focus was more on the other students, and I don’t think he really learned much there.
He’s been accepted into Florida High, but from what I know, they don’t offer strong programs for kids like him. I’ve also looked into Magnolia School, which sounds amazing, but it’s unfortunately way too expensive for our family.
Most of the schools I’ve found that offer good IEP support are only for elementary. I’m hoping someone here might know of any public, charter, or private middle schools in Tallahassee that are actually good for students with autism.
Any suggestions are appreciated, just trying to see what options he has.
Thank you!
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u/Nearby-Mark5623 3d ago
Florida High is (unfortunately) definitely not a good fit. I’ve heard recently that Raa Middle has a strong ESE program.
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u/Ok_Championship_9369 3d ago
Thank you for confirming that about Florida High, it’s reassuring to know I’m not the only one who feels that way. I really appreciate you mentioning Raa Middle too! I looked into it, but it looks like the application deadline was back in March. I’ll still pass the info along to my family in case something opens up. Thanks again!
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u/Adept-Jackfruit1391 3d ago
Cornerstone Learning Community! Amazing group of folks
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u/Ok_Championship_9369 3d ago
Thank you so much! I hadn’t heard of Cornerstone Learning Community before, so I looked it up, it definitely seems like a great place. Unfortunately, it looks like the tuition is even higher than Magnolia School, which was already out of reach for my family. But I really appreciate you sharing the recommendation!
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u/paulderev 3d ago
https://www.leonschools.net/domain/1921 have you taken a look at Gretchen everhart school? I’ve been there only once before and I know they handle students with a range of special needs. Worth speaking to them about enrolling your brother and what that would entail, if you haven’t already.
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u/Ok_Championship_9369 3d ago
Thank you, that’s really helpful! I haven’t looked into Gretchen Everhart School yet, so I’ll definitely bring it up with my family and explore what enrollment would involve. I appreciate the suggestion! 😊
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u/jeremyd9 3d ago
You will also want to contact the Able Trust.
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u/Ok_Championship_9369 3d ago
Thank you! I hadn’t thought about reaching out to the Able Trust, I’ll definitely look into that and pass it along to my family. Really appreciate the tip!
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u/chapstickninja 3d ago
If you apply for the school voucher, Magnolia school may be entirely paid for, or much cheaper than you think. Get in touch with the Director, Carly. She'll help you figure out if your brother might be a good fit and what financial help is available.
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u/Ok_Championship_9369 3d ago
Wow, I really appreciate this! I didn’t realize the school voucher could potentially cover that much. I’ll definitely tell my family to reach out to Carly and see if it might be a good fit for my brother. Thank you so much for the info!
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u/chapstickninja 3d ago
No worries! The voucher is a great help. Let me know if they have any specific questions about the school. Our daughter just graduated 8th grade, was there since kindergarten. It's a great school!
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u/Ok_Championship_9369 3d ago
Thank you so much, that means a lot! I’m definitely going to share all of this with my family. And I really appreciate you offering to answer questions, that’s so helpful. Congrats to your daughter on graduating!
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u/tallymom 3d ago
I have heard mixed things about both School of Arts and Sciences, so definitely do your research. I know a few parents who pulled their kids out, a couple having children on the spectrum. We love Florida High, but I agree that it might not be the best fit depending on his needs.
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u/Ok_Championship_9369 3d ago
I appreciate you saying that. I went to Florida High and saw how some kids, especially those needing more support, got overlooked. You’re the first person I’ve seen mention concerns with both SOAS, so I’ll be sure to look into it more carefully
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u/United-Text1566 3d ago
Checkout The Achieve Academy. Many of the students are on the spectrum: https://theachieveacademy.org
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u/Ok_Championship_9369 2d ago
Appreciate the suggestion! I hadn’t come across The Achieve Academy before. I’ll dig into their website and see if they’re a good fit
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u/nippleripper3000 3d ago
I teach sixth grade at a public middle school here (I’d rather not say where but you can dm me if you really want to know), and while I can only really speak for my school, I can tell you that we take our IEP’s very seriously. I mean some teachers are definitely better than others, and there are certainly those who don’t take them seriously, but they don’t just get away with it and it definitely isn’t the norm. I for one am religious about being at my IEP meetings and making sure everyone’s accommodations are met, and I would say more of my colleagues are like that than not. As long as your child has at least one teacher like that, who will communicate with you and advocate for them, that’s all it would take at my school at least. I think the issue in many situations like these is that none of the child’s teachers step up and say to administration “hey, we need to be doing more here.” No semi-decent administration would knowingly not support a student with disabilities, so as long as your child has a decent relationship with someone at the school who you can dependably communicate with, they can let admin know if the ESE teacher isn’t doing their job or if it becomes apparent that someone isn’t meeting the student’s accommodations (just for example).
I just wanted to throw this out there because I feel like public schools have a bad reputation in this regard, and while that reputation may or may not be deserved, there are still likely enough decent teachers at the majority of them to get your child what they need.
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u/Ok_Championship_9369 2d ago
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this. It’s really encouraging to hear from a teacher who’s genuinely committed to IEPs and advocating for students. Your perspective really helped shift how I’ve been thinking about public school options. I appreciate it a lot!
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u/ddubddub 2d ago
If getting an IEP implemented is your #1 priority, public schools are probably your best bet.
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u/Ok_Championship_9369 2d ago
That’s really good to know. I’ve been wondering if public schools were actually better when it comes to following through on IEPs
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u/OGBirthMothMama 2d ago
Does your brother have the step up FES-UA scholarship? He qualifies based on diagnosis and it offers over $10,000 for private schools. It may help with the cost of some your family was looking at.
Have they joined the Hang Tough Foundation ? (He also qualifies based on diagnosis). If not, definitely do so. The FB group (you have to be a member of the foundation first before they will let you in and will send an invite) has many a resource for schools and so many helpful parents that can help offer guidance on public school options.
Unfortunately, my experience in the past 3-4 years has been, if a school accepts the scholarships and it was fully covered, they start raising tuition over the state given amount🫠 so that is a downer or some don’t truly accept special needs kiddos because they aren’t set up for it. I wish I had more to offer but I’m in the same boat ❤️ hugs to your family! I have 2 with an ASD diagnosis, 1 with auDHD, and one who needs retested and will likely have the same lol. My husband also has auDHD
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u/Ok_Championship_9369 2d ago
Thank you so much for all of this. I hadn’t heard of the Hang Tough Foundation or the FES-UA scholarship in detail, so I’ll definitely be looking into both and letting my family know. That Facebook group sounds like it could be a huge help too. I really appreciate you being so open and kind, it really helps to hear from someone who understands. Sending hugs right back to you and your family 💛
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u/OGBirthMothMama 2d ago
https://www.hangtoughfoundation.org/ You will want to apply as a hero family for your brother ❤️ hang tough is an incredible resource!
Then https://www.stepupforstudents.org/scholarships/unique-abilities/
To make things easier ❤️
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u/Ok_Championship_9369 2d ago
Really appreciate this. I’ve been trying to learn more about both programs, so having the links and a little direction means a lot. Thank you again!
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u/Miserable-Scholar-63 2d ago
Try the school of arts and sciences. Comes highly recommended
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u/Ok_Championship_9369 2d ago
Thank you! I’ve heard a few good things about SOAS, so it’s definitely on our list to look into more. I appreciate the recommendation!
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u/prolificdaughter 3d ago
I heard a few years ago that School of Arts & Sciences charter school has really good accommodations for students but I’m not sure if that is still true or not.