Autistic 14 year old

[Guest jacks cush]

Hi,

I am going out of my mind with worry.

my husband is an AUstralian and wants myself and his step children to move at AUstralia. HE has had to go to start his job leaving me with the visa application.

 

I have booked the medicals but have just found out about children being refused a visa because they have autism.

 

My 14 year old has mild autism, she functions well at school and is set to get good results in her exams, she makes friends and requires no educational support.

My question do you think she will get a visa or will she be refused on the grounds she has mild autism. She is a well adjusted and bright young lady and you would never know she suffers from the condition.

 

Please help!!!!!!!

jacks

[Graemsay]

I think that passing or failing a medical is dependent on what the condition is likely to cost the taxpayer.

 

If your daughter is in mainstream education, doesn't require further support, and is going to be able to cope on her own as an adult then there probably won't be a problem. You might need to convince the authorities that's the case, but people have emigrated with kids at the high functioning end of the spectrum.

 

Gareth and Lisa (who don't seem to have posted recently) managed it. Might be worth dropping them a PM, as they're not frequent posters these days.

[Queuball]

Hi Jacks

 

My son is also on the high performing end of the ASD spectrum. He is 8 and was diagnosed with Asperges 2 years ago. He is in a mainstream school with a bit of support. We (family of 4) went for our medicals on 14 April 2012. We got our visas sub-class 175 on the 9 May 2012 with no issues or further examinations required. All I took along for him to the medicals was his last 2 CAHMS assessments.

 

Each case is different, but I hope this gives you some hope. Good luck.

 

Cheers

Queuball

[Johndoe]

Sorry if this sounds abrupt but there is no such thing as "mild autism". There's HFA, LFA and Asperger's. I view autism as a "sliding scale" in that on any particular day, a High Functioning Autistic may well present as a LFA, depending on certain stressors.

 

In public (without stressors), my child presents as a neurotypical child, but at home will "let it all hang out" and release his frustration (at having to cap his behaviours in public) by exhibiting Low Functioning characteristics.

 

ASD kids are not the best at elucidating what is actually going on in their heads, and although, to others, they may seem to be "pretty normal", their mental state/anxiety at having to "fit" may be causing them extreme discomfort that may lead to "meltdowns".

 

Please don't take this as a personal insult, but it does them a dis-service to use the word "mild" as we truly cannot know what stressors they are coping with, or how it is affecting them, unless they actually tell us, which they rarely do, as they are sometimes unaware themselves...........it having become a "norm" in their lives.

 

The swing towards using the term "Autistic spectrum disorder" as opposed to using LFA/HFA/Asperger's illustrates that "professionals" are now coming to recognise that it is indeed a spectrum, and that at different times/locations/tasks etc, the child may well be on differeing parts of the spectrum.

 

Those "less professional" persons, who you or your child may have to deal with, may well view the term "mild" in a dismissive manner, in that they assume that your child is OK and in little need of help, when that may not always be the case. From personal experience, I would avoid the word at all cost.

 

Good luck