sanam

We are looking to migrate to Australia and have a 8 yr old child who has received a cochlear implant 4 years ago. Can anyone guide us to some good schools that will take such children and mainstream their education? We are looking for references of schools in NSW,Vic, SA. It would be great if we could get contact details of any such children you know so that our decision on where to move in is easier?

Many thanks for your advise.

mika24me

Hello

Hearing Australia (I can't remember if I am allowed to post weblink so just google them) are probably a good place to start looking. The deal with hearing aids, etc, for children and I assume will also help you with cochlear implants (my little one just has aids so I am not so familiar with implants, sorry).

In Melbourne there is a school for the deaf, but I am not aware of any other special schools. This school has a good website and from memory takes children from prep to year 12.

There is a yahoo group for Australian parents of deaf or hearing impaired children. You might get some good advice there. It is called phidcoz but you have to register with yahoo to be able to access it.

Good luck

M
xx

sanam

Thanks M.
Will look around and check in yahoo groups too !
Sanam

mand8002

Sorry can't help you as our daughter is now 19 and did not move over till she finished school in the UK. She has had an implant here and her perception of things is that over here people treat her as a normal person, being deaf is no big deal. She did not think this in the UK.
I hope someone can give you some answers, when we applied way back in 1993, we contacted the SA education department and they were very helpful. Unfortunately back then they failed my daughter's medical so we were unable to make the move, but finally made it here in 2005

Amanda

quoll

This seems to list them in all states http://www.aussiedeafkids.org.au/find-a-school.html

Many kids with cochlear implants are actually supported in mainstream schools afaik. The units and special schools seem to be more for kids who use signing as their main mode of communication. (At least in ACT they are anyway)

sanam

Thanks Amanda. You mean back then they did medicals for 4 year old kids too ? And failed medical because of deafness? That concerns me.
In 2005, were there any issues in her medicals?
Thanks
Sanam

squeezzii

Dont know of the extent of impairment you say your child experiences but I have worked with 2 children within the state school environment here that have hearing impairment.

seayork2002

This school is in Adelaide.

http://brightonps.org/

mand8002

Yes we all had to have medicals, and they failed her, but apparantly back then they were wanting to encourage asian migration rather than european migration so found any reason to turn you down. Also everything was done by letter as no one had the internet and we found out later that we could have appealed, a migration lawyer told us that they have a set figure that if they think you will cost the state more than they turn you down, and obviously deafness is nowhere near.
In 2005 she had her medical and it was referred to Canberra but they passed it no problem. We obviously were not meant to come in 1993.

sanam

He has a severe to profound hearing loss which has now been corrected by a cochlear implant. Speech and language is picking up now. Yes, I have heard about deaf children being integrated into regular school environment- that is precisely our motivation to migrate to AU. Thanks

sanam

Thanks Seayork !! Looks good.

lapin_windstar

My OH is the expert on this, not me, but my understanding is that this is true generally of the Australian approach to kids with Special Educational Needs in any sense - there seems to be a reluctance to de-mainstream anyone if at all possible. (But others are better informed about this than me).

longreach

Hi

we have 2 hearing impaired students in our school and recieve support from education queensland to assist us and them. It works well

Tracy

seayork2002

I am tempted to send my son there and he is not hearing impaired (I know that doesn't help)