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Jacksonville mom of child with autism says it's hard to find right school

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — When Shawnteria Marlow moved to Jacksonville with her 4-year-old son who has autism, she said she had a hard time finding the right school for him.

She said she enrolled her child into a local charter school, despite being told it might not be the best fit.

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Marlow said two hours into the first day of school, she was asked to pick up her son.

Now, she’s starting the school search all over again.

Their story isn’t unique.

Another parent told Action News Jax their son, who has also been diagnosed with autism, was denied enrollment at a different charter school.

The parent said it wasn’t until he spoke to the assistant director and threatened to sue over violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act they offered to have the boy come in to see if it was a good fit.

Not all public schools are able to provide services for special needs children.

However, Duval County Public Schools has an entire page dedicated to the Exceptional Education and Student Services programs.

Parents can find out about the different programs and what school would likely be the best fit for their child. For more information, click here to visit the DCPS website.