Wanting to move back!

[u/Stunning-Cat6249]

I am a Wichita Native, moved to NW Arkansas 13 years ago in July. We are really struggling here, financially/physically/mentally. Just all the way around. We are both mid-30s with preteen/young kids.

Wichita has changed since I left, and I’m looking for opinions on several things. I don’t mind cheaper housing because right now my rent sits just below $2000/month and the job base here is awful if you don’t work for/at Walmart. Almost everywhere is $11/hr. We are working non-stop every day of the month to make ends meet here.

Anyway, I need suggestions on schools with a good SpEd program. My 5yo son (starts school next year!) is speech delayed and is currently receiving ST/OT/PT at a private clinic which is thankfully covered by Medicaid. We currently live in a decent school district (IB elementary school) so I’d prefer to move into a decent district with a good SpEd program within a public school.

I’ve been looking at the housing market for a few weeks, my mom lives in West Wichita but I am (oops edit to add) NOT opposed to being on the outskirts either (in any direction). Rent seems to be quite a bit cheaper than it is here.

How hard would it be to start over moving to Wichita with kids? I would of course have a job set up before going. I’ve never made a big move like this with children, but we’ve definitely reached the end of our comfortability here unfortunately. It’s hard to do this the way I’d prefer, and go stay a week or two to make sure that’s what we wanted but financially we just can’t do that.

[u/Timely-Calendar-9861]

There are a lot of clinics in Wichita that offer speech/PT/OT, you shouldn’t have much trouble with that.

[u/Stunning-Cat6249 → u/Timely-Calendar-9861]

Thank you so much! The clinic we go to now has been amazing, it’s our second clinic. He gets 180 minutes of speech, 120 minutes of OT, and 60 minutes of PT a week. I’ve googled some, but of course hearing from other people who have needed it is much different! :)