Apnea21 Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 There are several old threads on this topic but I was wondering if anyone has recently gone through the migration process with a child with high functioning asd or aspergers. Our 5 yr old son was recently diagnosed with asd (aspergers no longer diagnosed in uk). At school he doesn't need 1-1 but he does have support at playtimes and the TAs help him stay focused in class with visual timetables etc. He has a normal IQ and no learning difficulties. We are about to apply for skilled migration and I am interested in what obstacles people may have come accross and what support, if any, your child has recieved once in Australia. TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wellers and Whitehead Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 People have said support is not as good in oz for children with disabilities but I do not have personal experience. I know that the disability discrimination act does not really apply in Oz as much. .Why not try ringing around some schools to see what support they provide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 It's always wise to go through an agent who specializes in medical conditions in cases like this however with low level needs you're more likely to get a visa. However from your description it seems unlikely that he would get any support in schools but that may depend on the state you plan to go to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieMay24 Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I agree with the recommendation to speak with a migration agent who specialises in medical conditions (George Lombard and Peter Bollard are the two most frequently recommended). My work colleague had his visa refused due to his daughter's Aspergers, so it's important to ensure you present her medical information well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 We are about to apply for skilled migration and I am interested in what obstacles people may have come accross and what support, if any, your child has recieved once in Australia. TIA I cannot comment on the migration aspect but do have some personal experience of education as I have a 9 year old grandson who was diagnosed with high functioning asd at age 4 in his first year at school. He had part time teacher assistant support through Kindergarten, Prep, Grades 1 and 2. That ceased in Grade 3 but the class teacher prepared special activities/packages as required - including in areas such as science and reading where he is several years ahead of his peers. On the last day of term they presented him with a beautiful booklet preparing him for Grade 4 in the new school year - new teacher, classroom etc. However, it is difficult to generalise because school education in Australia is administered by the separate state Education Departments - and each may have a different policy. Also, your experience may be affected by financial constraints of the particular school and personal interest and commitment of the staff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apnea21 Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 Thanks for all your replies. We have now spoken with an experienced and knowledgeable migration agent and will no longer be pursuing skilled migration. To say we are gutted is an understatement. Especially as we have previously held PR. We will now be going down the 457 Route and I'm applying for my nursing registration and will be looking for jobs later on this year. I urge anyone in a similar situation to get some good migration advice before spending money on visas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelz Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Thanks for all your replies. We have now spoken with an experienced and knowledgeable migration agent and will no longer be pursuing skilled migration. To say we are gutted is an understatement. Especially as we have previously held PR. We will now be going down the 457 Route and I'm applying for my nursing registration and will be looking for jobs later on this year. I urge anyone in a similar situation to get some good migration advice before spending money on visas. I am very shocked that a mild diagnosis of ASD would prevent you from applying for a 189 visa as a family - as you state he doesn't really have any 1-1 support in class and only a TA at break times and a visual timetable - for such a young child i would have though that all of these are pretty standard strategies used in all schools, that don't cost the school any extra. Out of interest what would be the difference in going on a 457 visa in regards to medicals etc? and education provision? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 We will now be going down the 457 Route I trust that the downsides of the 457 visa have been explained? Particularly important for those with children...and especially ASD children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apnea21 Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 I am very shocked that a mild diagnosis of ASD would prevent you from applying for a 189 visa as a family - as you state he doesn't really have any 1-1 support in class and only a TA at break times and a visual timetable - for such a young child i would have though that all of these are pretty standard strategies used in all schools, that don't cost the school any extra. Out of interest what would be the difference in going on a 457 visa in regards to medicals etc? and education provision? It is shocking isn't it. But what they do is look at what he COULD cost the state between now and the age of 65. They won't look at his abilities or assess him in any way. It's pure discrimination. However it's the system they have and I'm not willing to spend thousands of pounds on applications and appeals when the chance of us getting approved is next to nothing. I believe it may be more straight forward to go from a 457 to PR. But for now we will plan our trip as a temporary one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apnea21 Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 I trust that the downsides of the 457 visa have been explained? Particularly important for those with children...and especially ASD children. Yes, thank you Skani. We know the downsides of the 457 Who knows if I'll even find a job! Fortunately my son does really well in the school setting with no 1-1 support. We have also seen a private school that we think could work well but all depends on jobs and areas when the time comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelz Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 It is shocking isn't it. But what they do is look at what he COULD cost the state between now and the age of 65. They won't look at his abilities or assess him in any way. It's pure discrimination. However it's the system they have and I'm not willing to spend thousands of pounds on applications and appeals when the chance of us getting approved is next to nothing. I believe it may be more straight forward to go from a 457 to PR. But for now we will plan our trip as a temporary one. What a shame - I have heard of adults getting medicals referred then passed when they have had previous diagnosis of cancer and TB, I would have thought that mild ASD with normal IQ wouldnt be a problem after appropriate reports like educational psychlogist etc - but the cost of the visa is expensive and it is a risk; as it will be for anyone will pre-existing medical conditions - dreading ours :-( But good luck all the same :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Gosh, that has really surprised me! Do you think it may be worth seeking a second opinion from a different agent? The only reason I ask, is that our daughter was diagnosed with Aspergers about two years ago, admittedly after we had already become PR (we had no clue, when we applied for PR - we just thought she was 'highly strung', it was only after she was bullied at school and we had to seek help from a psychologist due to her developing an OCD that the Aspergers was diagnosed). She was initially referred via a Mental Health Plan to see the psychologist (she got 10 partially funded medicare visits), but other than that has had no special support at all - we were told that nothing was available, so I can't see where the costs are. Our daughter is 8, almost 9 now (diagnosed at 6), and with the understanding of her wonderful school teachers, she has been fine at school - they have just accommodated her without question. The teachers allow her to sit somewhere quiet at recess/lunch if needed (usually the library), or she is allowed to walk around with the on-duty teacher. Visual timetables etc we did at home, although she seems to need things like that less and less these days, more so at the beginning of the year though. If your son doesn't have any learning difficulties, there is very little support in school for kids with ASD anyway, so I don't really see where the costs are. Have you written reports of his diagnosis, including IQ tests etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozmaniac Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 It is shocking isn't it. But what they do is look at what he COULD cost the state between now and the age of 65. They won't look at his abilities or assess him in any way. It's pure discrimination. However it's the system they have and I'm not willing to spend thousands of pounds on applications and appeals when the chance of us getting approved is next to nothing. I believe it may be more straight forward to go from a 457 to PR. But for now we will plan our trip as a temporary one. The medical for a permanent visa via the Temporary Residence Transition stream from a 457 is identical to the medical for a permanent visa applied for directly. If your son is unlikely to pass one, he is equally unlikely to pass the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebourvellec Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 The medical for a permanent visa via the Temporary Residence Transition stream from a 457 is identical to the medical for a permanent visa applied for directly. If your son is unlikely to pass one, he is equally unlikely to pass the other. I agree it's the same medical, if fail the 457 medical a waiver will be required from the employer to agree to meet all additional health costs, have seen job offers pulled as employers not willing to take on these costs. There is also waivers for employer sponsored PR from 457 transition stream, but these are done on a case by case basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milliem Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 It is shocking isn't it. But what they do is look at what he COULD cost the state between now and the age of 65. They won't look at his abilities or assess him in any way. It's pure discrimination. However it's the system they have and I'm not willing to spend thousands of pounds on applications and appeals when the chance of us getting approved is next to nothing. I believe it may be more straight forward to go from a 457 to PR. But for now we will plan our trip as a temporary one. I went through in 2012 with a son with ASD. He received 25 hours support as a five yr old reducing to 10 at age 15 which is around the time we went through the visa medical. I compiled school reports, a clinical psychology assessment and associated written report. His statement and his educational psychologist report. His medicals were referred for a few days but our visa was approved. He has now finished year 12. I had him in private school in Australia. He didn't get any support in Aus but I am a teacher so was able to help him at home. He received his year 12 certificate. I didn't use an agent but did do a large amount of research and the information I provided to the medical officer was fairly comprehensive. (almost telephone book size) I can pm you if you would like further information. Although your son is quite a bit younger than mine was when we went through the process; I do not see a great difference in circumstances; if anything, your son appears to be a milder case. If you would like any further info, let me know. Millie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Yes, thank you Skani. We know the downsides of the 457 Who knows if I'll even find a job! Fortunately my son does really well in the school setting with no 1-1 support. We have also seen a private school that we think could work well but all depends on jobs and areas when the time comes. To say I'm shocked about not being able to get a PR visa 'cos your son has an autistic spectrum disorder would be an understatement. My youngest, born here, has the same diagnosis. He got diagnosed as having ADHD first and then further tests, going to see different doctors got the right diagnosis. We've been pretty happy with the support he's had from 1-1 help in his first school. They even bought a higher chair and a table that sort of wrapped around him. He couldn't keep still and used to disrupt other people sat round him till he got the new desk. We had good support from the Child Health Centre in Perth where he used to go and see a couple of doctors there who kept files on his progress. Used to help him a lot having chats with those people. We paid for him to go to a private school here that had a "stream" for kids with learning difficulties. It's nothing like the cost of a private school in the UK though and there are several private ones very close to where we live. He used to bike there and back and it was no further than the local public school where his brother went. Again support was brilliant. It helped in that he had the same teacher all through his high school years and she was very touchy feely and used to love cuddling the kids as if they were her own. Just what our youngest loves, a good cuddle when he's feeling a bit stressed. He's 19 now and still likes a cuddle. He got a couple of awards at the school just for effort. He loved school and we never had any problems with him going. He was bullied a bit at his first school as he's obviously different but he sorted that out himself. They didn't bother him again.:laugh: He got suspended for a few days but so did the kids who picked on him. Good luck, I would get a second opinion, the guy is not necessarily right about the PR. Forgot to add we registered him with an agency (Edge) that have been really helpful too. They got him two placements while he was at school one with the dental hospital where he did a lot of office work once a week for a year then at UWA working in the Humanities and Arts department where he got a Cert 4 in business. These were paid positions while he was still at school. Not great pay but school were very supportive and gladly gave him the time off normal classes. He has a job now at a coffee shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apnea21 Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 To say I'm shocked about not being able to get a PR visa 'cos your son has an autistic spectrum disorder would be an understatement. My youngest, born here, has the same diagnosis. He got diagnosed as having ADHD first and then further tests, going to see different doctors got the right diagnosis. We've been pretty happy with the support he's had from 1-1 help in his first school. They even bought a higher chair and a table that sort of wrapped around him. He couldn't keep still and used to disrupt other people sat round him till he got the new desk. We had good support from the Child Health Centre in Perth where he used to go and see a couple of doctors there who kept files on his progress. Used to help him a lot having chats with those people. We paid for him to go to a private school here that had a "stream" for kids with learning difficulties. It's nothing like the cost of a private school in the UK though and there are several private ones very close to where we live. He used to bike there and back and it was no further than the local public school where his brother went. Again support was brilliant. It helped in that he had the same teacher all through his high school years and she was very touchy feely and used to love cuddling the kids as if they were her own. Just what our youngest loves, a good cuddle when he's feeling a bit stressed. He's 19 now and still likes a cuddle. He got a couple of awards at the school just for effort. He loved school and we never had any problems with him going. He was bullied a bit at his first school as he's obviously different but he sorted that out himself. They didn't bother him again.:laugh: He got suspended for a few days but so did the kids who picked on him. Good luck, I would get a second opinion, the guy is not necessarily right about the PR. Forgot to add we registered him with an agency (Edge) that have been really helpful too. They got him two placements while he was at school one with the dental hospital where he did a lot of office work once a week for a year then at UWA working in the Humanities and Arts department where he got a Cert 4 in business. These were paid positions while he was still at school. Not great pay but school were very supportive and gladly gave him the time off normal classes. He has a job now at a coffee shop. It'd been lovely to read about your son and his achievements. You must be really proud of him and the school sound fantastic. I feel confident that we would be able to find a school that would work well for my son too as to me his needs are pretty straight Forward once you understand asd. However we carefully selected a well known migration lawyer who specialises in medical conditions and migration to Australia and he doesn't know of anyone who has suceeded in getting through on the skilled Permenant visa. Having said that. I see no harm in getting a 2nd opinion so we may well do that. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 There's, unfortunately a big difference between having a diagnosis before you apply for a visa and after! There's a huge Catch 22 - if a child's needs are high enough to get school support they will be too high to get a visa! I guess I'm a little surprised that you were advised that PR was off the table given the low level needs you described however they are the experts and have the whole story, we don't! George Lombard or Peter Bollard are the go-to guys for advice in this regard. I would be very wary of going the 457 route - leading a temporary life with all its downsides (and no progression to permanency!) is hardly a wise move for a kid with autism and all depending on the state you go to, you may have to fork out not only for mainstream education but also any additional support he may require! That'd be tough on a nurse's salary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apnea21 Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Thanks quoll. We know the risks and fortunately I am not the main earner in our household. We also have a huge network of friends in Australia to help and support us. But, yes it's needs careful consideration and planning. I'm devastated but I think that if we are ever going to get there then this is probably the only way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I would be very cautious about going on the 457 route as, as the others have said, you will have to pass the same medical. It seems that you may get the initial 457 visa but might never progress to PR. We did this route but only as a last resort and a completely different situation and the 457 did bypass the problem we had (DH being unable to pass the skills assessment for PR) and we were able to apply for our PR on this route. Regarding the support side in schools - I worked in a primary school with absolutely fantastic support for the additional needs kids. Absolutely outstanding. It was run by a manager who chose to use the budget for staff rather than other resources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Thanks quoll. We know the risks and fortunately I am not the main earner in our household. We also have a huge network of friends in Australia to help and support us. But, yes it's needs careful consideration and planning. I'm devastated but I think that if we are ever going to get there then this is probably the only way. But that will be only a temporary working visa, if you can't get PR now because of the condition you won't get it later - sounds like self torture to me, sampling all the sweeties in the lolly shop but having to leave before closing time. I know some folk who tried the emotional "but our disabled child is doing so well here" routine but they still had to pack their bags and go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apnea21 Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 But that will be only a temporary working visa, if you can't get PR now because of the condition you won't get it later - sounds like self torture to me, sampling all the sweeties in the lolly shop but having to leave before closing time. I know some folk who tried the emotional "but our disabled child is doing so well here" routine but they still had to pack their bags and go. I guess I feel pretty confident about getter PR because: -We have been granted skilled independant visas before - we both have jobs on the MODL list - Our agent is confident that in our case that the health issues would be waivered at that point. We would also see things as temporary to start with. We have always loved to travel and our kids do too. Of course I would much rather gone with skilled PR but it's now a choice between never going or trying it this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I guess I feel pretty confident about getter PR because: -We have been granted skilled independant visas before - we both have jobs on the MODL list - Our agent is confident that in our case that the health issues would be waivered at that point. We would also see things as temporary to start with. We have always loved to travel and our kids do too. Of course I would much rather gone with skilled PR but it's now a choice between never going or trying it this way. Im confused - if you expect health issues not to be a barrier in the future why would they be a barrier now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wellers and Whitehead Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 We're you granted pr prior to the birth of your son? Why ddoes your agent feel so confident they would waiver your son's diagnosis? It just doesn't add up..I would get a second opinion..my thoughts are your agent wants to get paid regardless of what visa. .I'm with quoll I don't get why you don't qualify for pr now but feel you will later? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apnea21 Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Im confused - if you expect health issues not to be a barrier in the future why would they be a barrier now? Just going with what the lawyer said really. They must asses health in a slightly different way when going from a 457 to PR. But I don't have a full understanding of it at the moment so I need to ask more questions before we go ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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