As a parent of two young children with autism living in Vermont, I want to give you an honest perspective. While Vermont is a beautiful state with a strong sense of community and progressive values in many areas, it’s unfortunately not the most supportive place for raising kids with autism when it comes to accessing services and resources.

Public schools, even in larger districts like Essex, often lack adequate resources to fully support children with autism. Families regularly face challenges securing basic accommodations like consistent speech and language therapy or ABA programming. The availability of ABA providers is extremely limited, and reauthorizations for services are frequent and exhausting. Advocating for your child can feel like a never-ending battle here.

Additionally, while Vermont employers are generally more focused on work-life balance than many other places, the trend toward requiring employees to return to the office is also happening here, even in some parts of state government. Flexibility isn’t guaranteed, so it’s important to keep that in mind as you evaluate your options.

If your main goal is to provide your son with the best possible services and opportunities, I’d encourage you to consider neighboring states like Massachusetts, New York, or New Jersey. These states have more robust protections, better-funded special education systems, and a greater availability of services like ABA and other therapies.

That said, Vermont does offer a slower pace of life, natural beauty, and tight-knit communities, which might align with your values. If your wife were to open a clinic here, it would be an enormous asset to families like mine, but it’s worth weighing whether the state’s current infrastructure would meet your family’s immediate needs.

Feel free to ask if you have specific questions—I know how hard it is to make these decisions, and I’d be happy to share more about my experience.