Generally, living closer to a metropolitan area will give you access to the most services and job programs if you are looking for those.

In California, they give you everything you will ever need for your child with special needs. As soon as you get hooked up with Alta Regional, the help begins to come to your door. Its amazing how this works. Good luck to you!!!

thank you sally for the information....

I lost a friend.
She seemed to be sensitive when I talked about some of the challenges we have with ASD. I always made a point to never monopolize conversations and to ask how her or anyone elses day was and what was going on in their lives as well.
This individual made it clear how she felt about my son.
She was extremely rude stating that she thought Duey was quiet and she did not know he was able to speak the way he did. Basically she was indirectly insulting my son because he was more vocal than she thought he was. He was asking a lot of questions. Most of the questions and responses from my son came off rude. I would have appreciated more understanding that along with autism their are speech/communication challenges. Receptive and expressive language is difficult for some children on the spectrum that speak. This individual was not a real friend to begin with because you don't just stop speaking or associating with someone because they have a child with a neurological disability. This shows a lack of character. I also have family members tbat have changed although they try to pretend from a distance that nothing has changed but based on my years of experience dealing with this persons vanity and coldness as a child I feel that they view my son as damaged or less than. He is no longer worth a visit. This change started after he was diagnosed and I told this family member. THANK GOD I KNOW BETTER!! I also have family members that don't care enough to even do research on ASD. They where insensitive enough to say I should look up some information on ASD right? I wanted to say so badly YEAH YOU THINK? I mean the time we spend just dealing and the exhaustion and isolation we go through any thoughtful or half way compassionate person would even do a basic browse on the internet to find ways to understand or help a family member, friend ,or person they knew with a child with ASD.
They have no feelings or desire to attempt to try to make our lives a little better by offering to genuinely want to spend time with my son because they want too. At the very least as family you would think they would have enough compassion to offer some type of respite every once in a while. It's hurtful that people who call themselves family don't know this. We should never even have to hint let alone ask for an occasional break you'd think this would come along with being family. I know that people have lives of their own and no one is responsible or obligated to anyone other than their own immediate families but ASD really has a way of showing who people especially so called family really are. As far as loosing friends are concerned I don't expect anyone to feel sorry for us because even if I did it does us no good any way but you would think a reasonable or decent minded individual would respect and admire the struggle of a parent with a child with ASD at the very least show some compassion.

thanks sonrisemom :)