MrsWuh Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 It seems that we all got through the medicals unscathed (phew!) apart from my 12-year-old son who was diagnosed with mild ASD at the age of 6. His application has been referred and they have asked for him to go and see a paediatrician who can report back to them. My son is very verbal, won a scholarship to a private mainstream school, was placed in the top 1% for his age group in national tests last year, averaged 75% across 12 subjects in his summer exams, has never had a Statement of SEN and doesn't receive extra help in classes. He hasn't had to see any medical professionals about his condition since he was diagnosed - once the school realised there was an issue and were more understanding of him, most of his behavioural anxieties disappeared. There are no concerns about independent living or getting a job when he's an adult. He still struggles to relate to his peers or work in a team, uses an iPad in class because of his atrocious handwriting (hypermobile joints), tends to avoid eye contact and sometimes has trouble focusing in class. Does anybody have any advice or ideas on how we can prove that he will not be a burden on the Australian taxpayer and get him through this last hurdle? Would it be a good idea to get any other up-to-date reports from medical professionals to take along to show the paediatrician? Will a letter from his Headmaster, his school results, IEP and a respectable interview with the paediatrician be enough? Are there any buzzwords we can get the school to include in the letter that will make them look at him more favourably?! We are a bit worried that the decision will depend on whether the person making it is in a good mood on the day, or whether they are the sort of person who will just see the word 'autism' and reject him out of hand. We are applying for a 189 PR visa, so the bar is pretty high and we have no means of appeal if they say no. So any advice would be very much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 I would advise you to speak to a specialist agent such as George Lombard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 YUp, George Lombard or Peter Bollard are the two usually mentioned in this regard. It won't matter if the assessor is in a good mood or not, they will evaluate the evidence provided. It never hurts to have a full psycho educational assessment including a review of the diagnosis of autism (profound giftedness had similar indicators for example). However a battery of testing is likely to increase his anxiety which you probably don't need or want. Other observational checklists like adaptive behaviour can be compiled by his current school and could be of benefit if they show that he doesn't have unmanageable behaviours and he is essentially independent. It sounds like he doesn't need educational intervention which is good because he probably wouldn't meet the eligibility criteria for intervention in Australia anyway and that is a bonus because if he isn't eligible them he won't be costing the tax payer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWuh Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 Thank you for your replies - sorry about the delay in replying back. It was good advice to speak to the migration agent - I don't know why it didn't occur to us to do that! Anyway, the agent said to get as much evidence as possible, so yesterday we went to see the educational psychologist who helped diagnose our son in the first place. She repeated all the tests she did when he was six, and he has improved so much that he is now on the borderline of not meeting the diagnostic criteria for ASD any more. Next we are taking him to the paediatrician at the hospital where we did our medicals, and it might be that he ends up losing his official diagnosis completely - hopefully that will be the end of the issue and we will get the visa! We've also got a very positive report from our son's school and we asked them to complete an adaptive behaviour checklist which made him look great - thanks, Quoll! Now the only danger is that my other half is going to get carried away with all the excitement and hand in his notice at work before we get the visa - he is just itching to do it, I know! L. x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Now the only danger is that my other half is going to get carried away with all the excitement and hand in his notice at work before we get the visa Don't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWuh Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 Don't Don't worry, he won't. He's quite sane really, apart from his sudden burning mid-life-crisis urge to up sticks and move his entire family to a country on the other side of the world that he's never set foot on. We just have to humour him, poor soul...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWuh Posted December 11, 2016 Author Share Posted December 11, 2016 Well we took him to the paediatrician yesterday... the one recommended by the panel doctor. She didn't know why we were there, hadn't seen any of the previous reports we'd sent to her, glanced through them briefly when we gave them to her, noted his high IQ score and asked us what we wanted her to say on the letter! She didn't really talk to our son at all, let alone examine him. She said she'd had ASD applications rejected before, but they were severe cases. She said the authorities might think it was odd if the diagnosis was lifted altogether and ask for more tests, so we agreed not to go that far. But then she said something about there being no way of determining severity and they would ignore the 'mild' part of the diagnosis anyway so there was no point putting that on?! That's not the impression I got from our migration agent or DSM-V, but she waved away my questions regardless. It was like she was going through the motions and taking her fee, without really knowing what the immigration authorities are looking for or being particularly bothered about confirming whether the school and Ed. Psych reports were accurate. She said she'd send us the letter first so we can make any amendments and then send it back to her. It's like we're having to do the work ourselves! The referral letter actually asked for a paediatrician's report, not a letter. Does that matter? She can't have anything to add to the Ed. Psych. and school reports because she didn't do any further investigatons. Thank goodness we got the up-to-date Ed. Psych report... Anyway, I thought I'd keep this post updated for anyone else who might find it useful in future. Not quite so hopeful as I was...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWuh Posted December 22, 2016 Author Share Posted December 22, 2016 Just to update everyone - we got our visa grants today! A mere week after submitting the paediatrician's letter. Still in shock - and wondering how to break it to the kids! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Congratulations, that must be a big relief and what a fantastic xmas present .. When is the hubby handing in his notice then ? lol Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benj1980 Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Congratulations! Always nice to see visa applications being successful! Everyone has to complete this journey in a slightly different way, some more stressful than others, some with more question marks, but when you get the visa the relief and excitement is the same (for most anyway!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 So glad it worked for you. As you know, the Catch 22 will be that he is unlikely to get additional support in schools but if he is independent he should be fine. The line between gifted ness and ASD is very fine indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine N Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 I am very new to this group and joined for the reason being discussed with MrsWhu. It's so reassuring to know someone somewhere has had their visa accepted! We are in the position that we want to immigrate to Oz from Scotland. we were initially told we were very eligible candidates but when the immigration agent found out our 4yrs old was ASD they pretty much said no thanks! I have contacted Peter Lombardand explained the basics. His reply was that 'there was no prospect of our application being successful'. I think people hear autism and expect the worst case scenario! We are considering using a different agent and going ahead with the visa process and hope when it comes to the medical we will be given the opportunity to evidence our sons abilities. I was just wondering if anyone would have any advise. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Do you mean the agent George Lombard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Just to update everyone - we got our visa grants today! A mere week after submitting the paediatrician's letter. Still in shock - and wondering how to break it to the kids! What great news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWuh Posted January 30, 2017 Author Share Posted January 30, 2017 Hi Elaine, I think it really depends on how much support your son needs. Australia seems to offer a very extensive (and expensive) early intervention service for children under 7 with ASD - I think it's something like up to $6,000 a year to spend on various types of therapy. So you might stand a better chance if you wait until your son is too old to qualify for that financial assistance, as it's obviously going to represent a huge chunk of the permitted costs over 5 years. Even if you don't intend to use it, they will still take it into account if your son is eligible for it. My son wasn't diagnosed until he was almost 7 and he has improved a lot since then. I don't know whether he would have got through the process at that point, because he was in a pretty bad way psychologically after being bullied at school - chewing everything in sight, literally tearing out his hair in clumps, nightmares, meltdowns. A few years of TLC and more understanding from his schools after diagnosis have made so much difference to him that we barely recognise him from the report made at the time of diagnosis. He still has occasional bouts of peculiar behaviour, but nothing like he used to. Because he's so much older than your son, it's easier for professionals to assess how likely he is to live an independent life as an adult and make a judgement on that basis. Plus he doesn't receive any additional support at school which really helps. And he's only got a few years left at school now anyway, of course. Obviously I don't know how affected your son is by the ASD. Again, if he improves as much as my son did in a few years, you may find it easier to get him through the medical a little later when it's clearer how his condition will affect his ability to cope at mainstream school. If it helps, the agent we used was Go Matilda. When we first contacted them we didn't even think to mention my son's autism - most of his problems occur at school in social situations, but he's fine at home. His funny ways are just a part of who he is and, to us if not everyone else, that's his 'normal' setting. So we were going for the visa all guns blazing, when I started to see these little threads on the forums and realised rather belatedly that the autism might be a problem. My husband phoned Go Matilda and they were very reassuring and relaxed and just said it would be fine and not to worry. Of course we DID worry - incessantly for months! - but they turned out to be right in the end. Good luck with whatever decision you make - hope it goes well for you all! L. x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine N Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Thanks this is so reassuring. My son was diagnosed just last year but we have known since he was two but for other reasons didn't have him assessed. He has had significant early intervention mainly sourced and urged by myself as I could see where he needed the support. He has made such significant progress in the last two years and even in the last 6 months his verbal and social communication is amazing! He is 'Nonverbal' however it's the old situation of he has greater understanding of communication than he does on use of verbal. But the pediatrician that assessed him was very impressed by his ability to learn and engage that his projection is very positive. We are very fortunate that my son does have great support from multi agencies here and we hope to continue that to maximise on his early development but it's not felt that he will need such intensive support through out life. We were not thinking about immigrating for another three years we just wanted the visa process started. I am having a bit of a rant here I realise but I am so upset that ASD is so negativity looked upon. I am so happy that your son is doing great despite the difficulties he experienced at school. Hope life is treating u well in Oz! X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benj1980 Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 It's not that Autism is seen in a negative light, it is anything that is going to cost the Australian Government and the everyday taxpayer. There's enough people here who don't work, commit crime and certainly don't contribute to society who become a burden on the taxpayer. (Not suggesting that you would be I might add!) I can see why immigration are so thorough, but I can understand why it's frustrating as a parent as your child is your child warts in all and it's a bit insulting to suggest that they aren't 'suitable' for migration. I've work with many autistic children and they are so rewarding, challenging and unpredictable. It makes teaching far more interesting and some of the thoughts and ideas genuinely make me smile, talk about thinking outside the box! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine N Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Sorry I wasn't suggesting that Australia or those that live in Australia view ASD as a negative thing I meant the agent I was talking to and their reaction made me feel like it was negative thing. My siblings are all out in Oz and my sister has a young family there and they have a great life surrounded by great people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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