Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

Hi Guys

I have recently been advised that my son has aspergers and that he will get extra funding to help him in primary school here in the UK from September.

We are looking to come to Perth in the forseeable future. Can anybody please advise me how the schools help children who maybe on the autisic sprectum out in Austriala please. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Or does anybody have children with autism and if so, how was it when you moved out to Oz because change etc can be hard for them to cope with.

Many thanks

Debbie

Re: Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

First thing you need to ask yourself is whether your son will pass the medicals for a visa. And if you already have a visa which is not validated you will need to inform DIAC via a change in circumstances.

Anyway, the school help (and I use that term very loosely) is pretty much non-existant from my experience.

Re: Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

If you use the search button top of page, there should be a lot of threads on the subject, plenty to read.

However as D has said, funding in OZ for health problems/education may be an issue.

I know with Dyslexia the help was virtually non existant.

Re: Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

Medicare covers an assessment and a series of treatment sessions per year for kids with autism. I should know as it's what I'm going over to Oz to do. However, on the educational front specialist help is more sparse than in the UK. In short healthwise the service should be good but schoolwise not so good.

Re: Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

Medicare does NOT cover an assessment and series of treatmens sessions. It partially covers the assessment and minimally covers treatment. I should know I'm going through it now in Australia.

Re: Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

Sorry, I should have been more specific with the word 'partial'. As you say, it doesn't cover the entire costs.

Re: Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

I have already thankfully validated my visa and have until 2012 to enter the country. At the time when I applied for my visa my son hadnt been diagnosed it as only come more to light when he went to school.

The school he attends have been excellent in monitoring him putting individual learning plans and he has a teaching assistant who comes in every morning to assist him.

As you can appreciate my dream to come to oz is still very much in my foremind but i really would like to look into the help that it is out there from an education point of view it doesnt sound like that this is much is this the case?

Re: Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

I can't comment on schools in Perth, but here in Sydney support for children with special needs appears to be very limited in public schools. The schools will "talk the talk" all right - trouble is their view of giving everyone an "equal" education appears to mean treating everyone the same, regardless of the support a child may need to have any chance of a decent education.

Like the UK, it's all about money and the funding schools receive for children needing extra help. I was told clearly by a special ed teacher, that unless my primary aged dyslexic son had funding in place from day one the chances of him receiving any support were minimal. I removed my dyslexic older son from his local school after they showed a spectacular level of ignorance about dyslexic. In that case the school counsellor told me that a lot of the teachers didn't think dyslexia existed, therefore any action plan was a waste of time as the teachers would ignore it. The reports/assessments I brought from the UK and discussed in length with the headteacher never made it past the office. I know we are talking about different needs, but with a child on the autistic spectrum I would think very long and hard about educational provision before you make the move. If you can afford to pay you have a much better chance of having your child's needs met - both my boys are now in a private school and getting a far better education than they ever had in the UK, but at a price!

Re: Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

Disability support varies from state to state and is usually dependent on the impact of the disability on a child's capacity to function within the education system. Funding for kids with AS is generally not that high and will usually be untrained teacher aide support for the class teacher if they are eligible for support at all. To be eligible kids dont just need the label they need to be disabled by their condition and that is usually assessed by things like adaptive behaviour assessments

There was a federal government initiative to put more money into early intervention for autism but it is still spread very thinly and largely focusses on the early years following diagnosis. Assessments have always been possible through the public sector services but the waiting list for such services is enormous. Similarly there have always been some early intervention initiatives but the pressure on those services is enormous. They are not usually related to medicare per se.

Some states have a home program emphasis and others have a school program emphasis so it all depends on the state's philosophy about the best intervention. If you do a search on the Department of Ed website for autism you will come up with some initiatives http://www.det.wa.edu.au/search.asp

Re: Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

As I previously mentioned we already have our visa which was validated over 2 years ago in light of the fact we have done this and my son was diagnosed after us applying for the visa surely this cannot be now withdrawn I hope????:(

Re: Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

No your visa cannot be withdrawn.

Autism/special needs services in Australia (probably like UK) vary from state to state, health area service to health area service and school to school.

My elder son was assessed as on the spectrum for free at Tumbatim clinic which is attached to Sydney Childrens Hospital.

They put us on to the minimal services available but at least his occupational therapy is paid for. Your best bet is to get in touch with WA parents with Aspies and the only way I know of is through the essentialbaby.com.au forums. My wife is a regular contributor.

The following http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/disabil...s/default.aspx lists details of some federal funding available.

Re: Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

Try contacting the Autism Association WA for advice:
http://www.autism.org.au/

For an alternative forum for parenting, try:
http://raisingchildren.net.au/forum/Group8.aspx

There is a special unit of the Education Dept called The Centre for Inclusive Schooling that might be able to help:
http://www.cis.perthwa.net/

My own experience of dealing with CIS is that they are useful for talking to, but there is very little action. They told me to speak to some at the District Education Office (there are about 4 in the metro area) - these offices have specialist education assistants for kids with special needs, who get allocated as needed. Our school has certainly had kids assigned with specialist Ed Asst.

As the others have said, some teachers and principals do not believe that some conditions exist. With my own children, even though I have had reports from various health professionals, they choose to ignore that my children have problems (sensory processing disorder and ADHD). I kept spending money, getting more assessments done, running around with appointments, thinking "maybe this time the school will listen". I would also advise looking into non-govt schools, but you need to ask them in writing the same tough questions that you would ask govt schools. There was a recent case in Perth where one of the very expensive private schools had a child (with autism, I think) for a year, but they told the parents that they wouldn't be able to accept her enrolment for the next year because of the cost of an Ed Asst.

At least ASD is recognised as a condition. It's a steep learning curve for parents, good luck.

Re: Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

From our experience the schools are better informed and trained here in Victoria than they were back in West Sussex.

The cost is hard too bare but you see such great results its definitely money well spent.

I think there was 10 visits per year (which with weekly visits from 2 professionals is really only a token). Not much return out of $15k for additional teachers aide if needed like us (with no funding).

Re: Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

So don't move to Perth, move to the Melbourne suburbs. However, judging by comments from a poster called Hevs, you may have to pick your suburb carefully. I know she gets sod all help for her son.

Re: Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 

In the UK I was a Primary Teacher and have taught lots of children with additional needs and can say that a lot of schools here in Geelong do not cater adequately for children with special needs, and that there is a distinct lack of help within the classrooms. I have a friend who has 2 children on the spectrum and she sings the praises of the S.A system. Hope you can find a school to suit your child's needs in W.A.