Stitch

Hi,

She's now 6 years old and doing ok ish in mainstream. We have had support but not without a fight. It's tougher I think here than in the UK. It is a shame about the labelling but if we hadn't had the diagnosis she would not have been entitled to any support in the mainstream school she is in now. Just keep plodding along. Today I got called for her at school. Wasn't well. Well she hadn't eaten, was stressed out her box and couldn't figure out the work. The only thing she knew was her tummy felt different! All in a days work so they say,

Cheers

Ginny

Mrs Jackaroo

Sorry to hear that its harder here than in the UK

If it makes you feel any better, my 8 year old daughter has a 'funny' tummy most mornings before going to school (and doing anything that shes not sure about actually). We had a really bad spell with her before Christmas for a few weeks - very difficult for all of us. It seems to have passed........for now but she can get very stressed and very anxious.....and she doesnt have ASD......just regular, everyday emotions.

I hope things start to improve for your little one.

Stitch

Thanx

Jacky Lawley

To the Devon Family...
I am new onto this site and posted a quick thread on here a few days ago and am so pleased to see all this help and information on here!
I wanted to reply to you because you sound just like me! I have waded through these last 2 years with the relevant people (one saying this the other saying flippin that) getting them to help my son who is 5 in April who has speech and language difficulties.
At last we feel we have the best education setting for him now, he was statemented (yes i pushed for this even tho certain people tried to say when he is 4 or 5 we will start the process then.... NO WAY SENCO you start it now!!) and he started in November in an excellent Special School in the West Midlands.
Samuel hasn't been diagnosed with any "label" as the paedriatrician says he is too young but after 3 visits she strongly feels he only has a severe speech and language delay along with his learning disabilities and is making really good progress at school as it is all about his confidence, he can now say many many words and actually copies us! (that is such a lovely thing to hear!) But now as we are into our 3rd stage of our visa process through our Agency, I am getting very concerned and worried about what type of schooling he will be able to receive over there (we would like to settle in Sydney).
But like yourself, I need more information on the settings otherwise why uproot and emigrate when its all about our children and their future? I feel like i really need to speak to someone as our Agency say the medical stage will be around June/July/Aug time.
How far are you into your process?? and are you looking favourably at your son's education setting over there??
Jacky

Devonfamily

Hi Jacky,

Tx for ur PM!

Just thought I'd let other mums who have children with a Disability/Sp.Nds - Autism, Speech & Language delays know - that I'v spent a fair whack of time on the net this morning and also spoke to 3 different Immigration Agents. I asked them about the implications about Immigrating to Aus with a child with the above probs etc. I said to them I realise this can be a big problem and possibly have our Visa application declined!

There responses have been: They can't say, they don't know as they are not in the "Medical" profession. Their advice was to contact a "Panel" Doctor closest to you and discuss your situation with them and see what they say.

As in most cases Immigration Agents do not understand or know the first thing about Autism or other Disabilities (unless they live with it). When I discussed my sons Autism with these 3 Agents they all reacted as if - oh my son must be backwards or something. I did not find them of much help at all - besides telling me to contact a Panel Doctor. I have since contacted a Panel Doctor in Tavistock, Devon (our closest) and he is going to phone me back on Tuesday midday. If I need to or can I will take my son to see this Doc and give him copies of all my sons latest reviews & assesments etc - if it helps with us being able to start our Visa process. At least this Doc will sure understand alot more about my childs Autism (he's not severely effected & has all his faculties about him - he's a bright lad).

Well me dears - thats the latest info I'v found out today. What one Agent did tell me that if your Child Needs to attend a Sp.Nds school in Aus - we will probably get turned down. I'v been told my son - could possibly be re-intergrated into Mainstream in the future - but I'm not too keen on this - as there are too many kids in the class and he can't cope with crowds and lots of noise around him.

Mrs Jackaroo

Thanks very much for the update - I hope the panel doc gets back to you with some positive news.

As quoll as said, in many school in Australia they do have a special needs class/classes, which I think is great (my daughters school has one). How you go about being accepted into those facilities though I'm not too sure - it seems quoll would be the one to ask about that.

I've checked out my daughters schools website but cant find any info relating to it online. If you'd like to email them (just to ask a few questions) I'm sure they'd be more than happy to help (obviously you could make out that you're hoping to head to this area). Feel free to PM me and I'll give you the details.

Stitch

Hi,

Here in Qld, well our area anyway, we have mainstream schools where children with additional needs get supported in the school. There are also other mainstream schools that are what;s known as being coded for Autism, that means they cater for mainstream but also have specialist teaching staff in what's known as SEU (Special Education Unit) attached to the school.

Cheers

Ginny

LOVERINGS

hello everyone just to let you no iv been to see the paediatrician and off the record was told my son is showing signs of autistic spectrum disorder but he doesnt seem to be bad as in a 2 out of 10 dont really no what to fell about this.its weired cause they say kids that have this show on love to anyone well hes started to give kisses and is sooooo cuddley and is singing songs ok its hard to understand but hes got the tune right his eye contact has got so much better in fact when we were in to see the doc my son walked passed him and gave him the biggest smile. then the other day i brought him a potty thought id give it a go as he cant talk yet but does try to understand as soon as i took his nappy off he sat on it and went wee i thought that was a fluke but it wasnt as it turns out hes really taken to it. i think this is a good sign as there was so much he wasnt doing that he should have been at his age now its like hes picked up where he left off yes hes behind but i dont care he will get there in the end

Mrs Jackaroo

Sorry to hear that your doc believes he could be autistic - great to hear how well he seems to be improving though. Your head must be all over the place at the moment!

quoll

Good to hear that your little lad is making progress Loverings. That is a really good sign and once you can start with the speech therapy in earnest then you will probably see all sorts of great progress.

The disability eligibility criteria are there on departmental sites you just have to spend hours trying to find them! In very general terms, what they are prepared to support are those children who fall into the bottom 2% of the population so if you have a child with an intellectual disability this equates to an IQ less than 70 plus (in most states as far as I can see) a deficit in adaptive behaviour as assessed by a checklist. Similarly with any of the pervasive developmental disorders a definite diagnosis of one of the big 5 plus a similar deficit in adaptive behaviours - some states are even specific about which subscales need to be deficient. Vision - much easier, usually 6/24 and not sure about hearing but usually that same bottom 2%. Physical impairments need to have a significant impact on a child's participation.

There are slight variations between states which is hugely confusing, with Vic probably being the most restrictive from memory.

I would agree with the agent who said that if the child is likely to need a special school environment then they are most likely to be refused a visa - you only have to look at the relative costs to the Aus community.

LOVERINGS

ye its all happening here but the good thing is all thats on his records is speach delay so the doc said to just carry on with the visa

Josie1100

We went to Tavistock to have our medicals. Is it the same doctor? He was so lovely and made us so calm about our sons disability. Would be interesting to find ou?

LOVERINGS

what the paediatrician did say was that they have widened the goal posts as to who fits into the autistic category he was saying he sees so many kids that show no signs of being autistic the only reason he would no is whats on the records so i think we will carry on with the visas and see what happens theres not much else we can do as they dont like to say one way or another before they hit 3 which is why the paediatrician said off the record a lot can happen in time and if he carries on the way hes going he will be ok and be able to go to a main stream school he is so clever with other things its just like he skipped speaking which hes just coming back to now with a lot of hard work on our part i think if he is autistic its going to be very hard to tell

Jacky Lawley

Firstly thank you for those who sent me PM's and secondly sorry I cant reply back as I have 8 and I am only allowed 3 (apparently!) so if anyone knows how to get into those PM's please let me know! (as being a virgin on this site!)
To the Devons, thanks for that info re: Panel Doctors, I have also enquired to the local Panel although will have to call again tomorrow to speak to the Practise Manager in depth regarding this and we believe that the Medicals will have to be done in June/July straight after my fiance's Vetassess's assesment.
There seems a bit of a lull now - has anyone found that? From the references, photos and passports being certified, Vetassess info completed on paper the next step will be the assessment in June. Then the application form will be undertaken and the Medicals and Police Checks and we will then be assigned a Case Officer. We only started this the beginning of Jan with an Agent who are excellent (although they have never come across this SEN situation), but spose all we can do is wait til June! Boo hoo!
xx

glittababe

Hi our sons got aspergers - we had no probs, think he impressed the panel dr with his intelligence instead (decided to take the fax machine apart to see how it worked, then reassembled it correctly whist we were talking to the Dr)! We had to take all relevant docs from the child health team plus his consultant. It was deemed cameron would be able to stay in main stream school - this helped as he requires no extra help - other than us at home plodding along with the social side.