Idaho Falls Blackfoot or Pocatello

[sandypalma]

Hi which town is better to raise children and one with special needs? Any info is much appreciated.

[kubivern]

Blackfoot is the smaller of the three locations you listed. I know friends with children requiring specialized education and both Idaho Falls and Pocatello do have schools that provide that education - I imagine Blackfoot does as well but Idaho Falls and Pocatello may have more resources due to their sizes.

Maybe this website can help you - Idaho State Department of Education - Special Education. It describes Idaho's special education programs.

Pocatello does have the University - Idaho State University - so it may have slightly more resources than Idaho Falls. But I will bet in most other areas they are pretty equivalent. Idaho Falls probably has a slightly higher fraction of higher technology jobs because of the Idaho National Laboratory headquarters there, but Pocatello has several industrial facilities as well. I think both cities have very similar populations.

[sandypalma]

Thank you!

[freki, ADN, RN]

What kind of special needs are you talking about? Idaho Falls has a bigger medical community, so if your child has special needs that require a neurologist or peds specialist, I would try Idaho Falls. I grew up in Blackfoot and lived in Idaho Falls for 4 years. I would say that of the three you mentioned, Idaho Falls is best for raising a family; it's cleaner than the other two with more cultural events and is closer to more outdoor activities. The only downside (for me) is the highly religious nature of the area, but for others that may be a plus! I don't think I would choose to raise a family in Blackfoot, it is small and rural and very closed-minded. There is also a high amount of drug trafficking compared to the population size.

Any questions, feel free to ask me. I have a lot of experience with the hospitals around that area and the activities offered. I did live there for 23 years

[sandypalma]

What kind of special needs are you talking about? Idaho Falls has a bigger medical community, so if your child has special needs that require a neurologist or peds specialist, I would try Idaho Falls. I grew up in Blackfoot and lived in Idaho Falls for 4 years. I would say that of the three you mentioned, Idaho Falls is best for raising a family; it's cleaner than the other two with more cultural events and is closer to more outdoor activities. The only downside (for me) is the highly religious nature of the area, but for others that may be a plus! I don't think I would choose to raise a family in Blackfoot, it is small and rural and very closed-minded. There is also a high amount of drug trafficking compared to the population size.

Any questions, feel free to ask me. I have a lot of experience with the hospitals around that area and the activities offered. I did live there for 23 years

my son has autism..he is nonverbal and was dx with apraxia of the speech.