Medicals autistic child

[Daisyflowers]

Hi,

I am looking for some information on immigrating to Australia with an autistic child.

I’ve read a few posts from other members in a similar situation so I understand the ‘risk’ of rejection at the medical stage. My immigration agent also warned us about the potential of rejections when we started our application. 

We have been offered a 190 and are due our medicals soon. My son is 10. He is very quiet around people, particularly adults he doesn’t know. He has some language delay- structuring of sentences/ some comprehension and in stressful situation he may choose not to answer at all. He was in full time support unit in  school, however has started making the transition to mainstream and his next semester  of primary school he will be full time mainstream, no support, and an outlook of mainstream for secondary. Although he has a language delay, SLT and school don’t seem to think this will be an issue for him navigating mainstream. He is able to socialise with his peers, is very physically able,  and academically is on a par with his peers. School will be able to provide a report on his progress (he has no other professional involvement).

However, at the medicals will the person assessing/carrying out the medicals just take the language delay as a ‘no go’ for us and not take into consideration what school have said in the report? 

 

Sorry for the length of this post! 

 

Thanks, 

 

[Quoll]

They will probably ask you for updated assessments, IQ, adaptive behaviour, receptive and expressive language, current skill levels etc.  They have  to determine whether, given his disability, he would be eligible for disability support in school in Australia.  It's not a matter of whether you say you won't access disability support it's whether he would be eligible for it and you could access it. They don't go on subjective reports but objective assessments. An autism diagnosis covers a whole range of deficit but the label generally rings alarm bells bells it can be very expensive. 

[Daisyflowers]

Thanks @Quoll. Do you know what kind of questions they may ask him or direct toward him at the medicals? He potentially won’t want to speak to the doctor as he is really shy around people he doesn’t know. I know this won’t ‘present’ as great. I was hoping the school report regarding mainstream and his skill set would help counter this. I know it’s subjective but  I’ve also spoken to a couple people who have already immigrated on a 190 who have autistic children and children with different disabilities where there was no pathway to mainstream and would need continual support throughout their education. Is the process not as clear cut as having a disabilities means a no? 
 
thanks. 

[Quoll]

3 hours ago, Daisyflowers said:

Thanks @Quoll. Do you know what kind of questions they may ask him or direct toward him at the medicals? He potentially won’t want to speak to the doctor as he is really shy around people he doesn’t know. I know this won’t ‘present’ as great. I was hoping the school report regarding mainstream and his skill set would help counter this. I know it’s subjective but  I’ve also spoken to a couple people who have already immigrated on a 190 who have autistic children and children with different disabilities where there was no pathway to mainstream and would need continual support throughout their education. Is the process not as clear cut as having a disabilities means a no? 
 
thanks. 

It depends on whether the child meets the criterion for disability funding and that's why one of the agents specialising in medical issues is the one to talk to. If someone has got a visa it's because their child doesn't meet the objective criteria for disability funding. It's not the label that they're given, it's the degree of impairment that their disability causes. Only ones I've heard of have not been eligible for disability support in school.  It's a catch 22 type thing. 

[Daisyflowers]

Hi, does that mean they don’t qualify because they don’t need the support as the can managed independently, or that they aren’t eligible for it despite needing it and families have to fund the specialist education themselves?

the people I know (personally) have immigrated with a child that had physical disabilities and a learning disability. But because they were of generally good health, and they were able to get reports from their health/educational professionals the visa was granted (I’m sure it was much more involved/complicated than that . It wasn’t easy for them and took along time but ultimately they got the visa). 
 

its difficult to understand the whole process! 

[Quoll]

9 hours ago, Daisyflowers said:

Hi, does that mean they don’t qualify because they don’t need the support as the can managed independently, or that they aren’t eligible for it despite needing it and families have to fund the specialist education themselves?

the people I know (personally) have immigrated with a child that had physical disabilities and a learning disability. But because they were of generally good health, and they were able to get reports from their health/educational professionals the visa was granted (I’m sure it was much more involved/complicated than that . It wasn’t easy for them and took along time but ultimately they got the visa). 
 

its difficult to understand the whole process! 

Disability support is targeted at those who fall into the bottom few percent of functioning - which is why they ask for objective assessments of functioning. It’s not about general health in this case. That’s why working with an agent who specialises in this area is important. But the general rule of thumb is that if you get a visa, your kid doesn’t get support in school. If you know folk who’ve done it and their kid gets significant disability support then they’ve been extraordinarily lucky.  
Edited to say, you will most likely be ok but it would help if you have reports to say that his cognitive functioning is in the average range as is his receptive and expressive language and his adaptive behaviour (ie he’s able to cope independently in an educational setting) - or if not in the average range then in the mild range.  The issue you may have at the moment is that he is in a special setting, albeit working his way out of it (and I trust that if asked you will be up front about the support he is currently getting)

Edited July 18, 2022 by Quoll

[Daisyflowers]

Thanks for the reply @Quoll. The school report will state his current situation exactly as is. It’s not something we are trying to ‘get around’,  but having an idea of what the medicals will be like and what reports I will need is great to help me get any reports sorted before we go to medicals.
Thanks for your help. 

[charliekok]

May i ask how about your visa now?is it approved?

[Daisyflowers]

Hi, glad to say we got our grant.

[bearbear128]

On 22/10/2022 at 11:28, Daisyflowers said:

Hi, glad to say we got our grant.

Congratulation. So happy to your success. 

Would you mind to share a bit more about the supporting documents that you have provided to Immigration department. 

My son is 6 and studying year in England. He is diagnosed with mild to moderate autism at 2 years old in oversea. When we relocated to England a year ago, we lodged EHCP assessment application but got rejected. He is improving in language and behavior. But I am still very struggled to lodge 491 or 190 visa application.

Hope you could shed me some light. Thank you.

[Quoll]

2 hours ago, bearbear128 said:

Congratulation. So happy to your success. 

Would you mind to share a bit more about the supporting documents that you have provided to Immigration department. 

My son is 6 and studying year in England. He is diagnosed with mild to moderate autism at 2 years old in oversea. When we relocated to England a year ago, we lodged EHCP assessment application but got rejected. He is improving in language and behavior. But I am still very struggled to lodge 491 or 190 visa application.

Hope you could shed me some light. Thank you.

Speak to one of the agents who specialise in medical issues. George Lombard is the one who is usually mentioned in this regard. You will need a current cognitive assessment, adaptive behaviour, current skill level, speech language assessment and any other diagnostic assessments that the psychologists may have done to confirm the diagnosis. 

[Daisyflowers]

Hi @bearbear128. I can only tell you from our experience so this isn’t to say it’s the way it works for everyone. I don’t think its that a child or person is autistic that causes the difficulty in the getting a visa rather it’s how much support they need (you will be able to read that in multiple post on this forum).   My son was in an educational support unit specifically for autistic children. But his educational plan supported a main stream transition and main stream secondary placement. He also had/has no other input from other agencies so no health etc. only education. The only supporting document we provided was an assessment from school showing his current and projected educational plan; what is capabilities are and that he would maintain a mainstream placement (after transition). We took that with us to the medical as we knew we would be asked for further evidence as we ‘declared’ that he was autistic from the outset. 
I guess if a child has lots of intervention you could get other supporting documents but thankfully we weren’t asked for anything else. 
It is really stressful because it’s not until the very end of the process at the medicals that it even became a factor in the visa process that our child’s autistic. So you could do all the hard work involved in even getting to that stage and then be knocked back.
It’s definitely a risk but we just had to try and thankfully it was a good result. 

Edited October 27, 2022 by Daisyflowers

[bearbear128]

@Daisyflowers

We have lodged EHCP assessment application and got rejected last April. He is receiving other type of services from local council in school. I will then work with his school and all specialist in order to get some convincing evidence to proof he is able to stay in mainstream school without using extra health services in Australia.

 

[Vama]

Hi we are planning to lodge 494 visa . Previously we lodged 187 got declined and is still under process with AAT. Once we got 187 declined things changed to begin with we found out abt our daughter showing autism symptoms.  Company that sponsored us for 187 disbursed. So now new company is happy to help us with 494 visa . But before we apply we have few doubts .

My daughter is not officially diagnosed. So we don't have any reports. 

My daughter is going to main stream school since the beginning and is doing quite well. She has severe speech delay . But is really good socialising,  joint attention, transitions and physically fit . She gets one on one assistant in school. We got her therapies done for speech for nearly 3 years paid everything out of pocket. She doesn't get any other support .

 

Now my immigration agent is asking me whether we would like to go ahead lodge for 494. 

 

What should I do ?

 

[Vama]

2 hours ago, Daisyflowers said:

Hi @bearbear128. I can only tell you from our experience so this isn’t to say it’s the way it works for everyone. I don’t think its that a child or person is autistic that causes the difficulty in the getting a visa rather it’s how much support they need (you will be able to read that in multiple post on this forum).   My son was in an educational support unit specifically for autistic children. But his educational plan supported a main stream transition and main stream secondary placement. He also had/has no other input from other agencies so no health etc. only education. The only supporting document we provided was an assessment from school showing his current and projected educational plan; what is capabilities are and that he would maintain a mainstream placement (after transition). We took that with us to the medical as we knew we would be asked for further evidence as we ‘declared’ that he was autistic from the outset. 
I guess if a child has lots of intervention you could get other supporting documents but thankfully we weren’t asked for anything else. 
It is really stressful because it’s not until the very end of the process at the medicals that it even became a factor in the visa process that our child’s autistic. So you could do all the hard work involved in even getting to that stage and then be knocked back.
It’s definitely a risk but we just had to try and thankfully it was 

Hi we are planning to lodge 494 visa . Previously we lodged 187 got declined and is still under process with AAT. Once we got 187 declined things changed to begin with we found out abt our daughter showing autism symptoms. Company that sponsored us for 187 disbursed. So now new company is happy to help us with 494 visa . But before we apply we have few doubts .

 

My daughter is not officially diagnosed. So we don't have any reports. 

 

My daughter is going to main stream school since the beginning and is doing quite well. She has severe speech delay . But is really good socialising, joint attention, transitions and physically fit . She gets one on one assistant in school. We got her therapies done for speech for nearly 3 years paid everything out of pocket. She doesn't get any other support .

 

 

 

Now my immigration agent is asking me whether we would like to go ahead lodge for 494. 

 

 

 

What should I do ?

[Quoll]

5 hours ago, Vama said:

Hi we are planning to lodge 494 visa . Previously we lodged 187 got declined and is still under process with AAT. Once we got 187 declined things changed to begin with we found out abt our daughter showing autism symptoms. Company that sponsored us for 187 disbursed. So now new company is happy to help us with 494 visa . But before we apply we have few doubts .

 

My daughter is not officially diagnosed. So we don't have any reports. 

 

My daughter is going to main stream school since the beginning and is doing quite well. She has severe speech delay . But is really good socialising, joint attention, transitions and physically fit . She gets one on one assistant in school. We got her therapies done for speech for nearly 3 years paid everything out of pocket. She doesn't get any other support .

 

 

 

Now my immigration agent is asking me whether we would like to go ahead lodge for 494. 

 

 

 

What should I do ?

If she is getting 1:1 support in order to manage school she is likely to be declined for a visa.  Do you have any idea how much 1:1 support costs????

[Vama]

47 minutes ago, Quoll said:

If she is getting 1:1 support in order to manage school she is likely to be declined for a visa.  Do you have any idea how much 1:1 support costs????

47 minutes ago, Quoll said:

May be 35 per hour teacher aids is being paid m not sure though

47 minutes ago, Quoll said:

If she is getting 1:1 support in order to manage school she is likely to be declined for a visa.  Do you have any idea how much 1:1 support costs????

 

On 13/01/2015 at 11:26, Ozmaniac said:

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.

 

[Daisyflowers]

Hi @Vama I can’t give you and advice on your visa, sorry. 
 

for school, from our experience;  it’s about if your child can cope independently in mainstream school. For us there was already a transition plan in place/taking place and there were no concerns that a full mainstream transition couldnt take place by the end of the year (with no support).  So it’s not that a child is autistic it’s the level of support they require. 
 

some visas have health wavers that allow you right to appeal if your rejected. That’s not to say it would change the decision but it’s an option. You would need to speak to your agent about the terms of that. We didn’t have a visa with a health waver so I’m not sure what the process would be. 

Edited October 28, 2022 by Daisyflowers

[Vama]

33 minutes ago, Daisyflowers said:

Hi @Vama I can’t give you and advice on your visa, sorry. 
 

for school, from our experience;  it’s about if your child can cope independently in mainstream school. For us there was already a transition plan in place/taking place and there were no concerns that a full mainstream transition couldnt take place by the end of the year (with no support).  So it’s not that a child is autistic it’s the level of support they require. 
 

some visas have health wavers that allow you right to appeal if your rejected. That’s not to say it would change the decision but it’s an option. You would need to speak to your agent about the terms of that. We didn’t have a visa with a health waver so I’m not sure what the process would be. 

Hi 494 visa is the which provides us health waiver.  But the question is if u haven't got diagnosis..how is immigration going to decide ur child's health condition. 

[Quoll]

1 hour ago, Vama said:

Hi 494 visa is the which provides us health waiver.  But the question is if u haven't got diagnosis..how is immigration going to decide ur child's health condition. 

But you would be declaring that your child needs 1:1 support in class. They may require you to get a whole battery of psycho-educational assessments to show what level of disability she has. 

[Vama]

Thanks for ur reply 

[Daisyflowers]

Even if you dont have a diagnosis the doctor at the medical would have an expectation/understanding on where a child should be in terms of developmental milestones.if a child presents with any delay in development I imagine that would be enough for further evidence to be requested from immigration. We were honest regarding my son being autistic from the very start as you need to get the right supporting assessment in place to support your medical if further evidence is asked for. For us we felt if we are honest from the start then we could get organised when our medical came round and have our assessments ready to take to the medical. 

[Vama]

49 minutes ago, Daisyflowers said:

Even if you dont have a diagnosis the doctor at the medical would have an expectation/understanding on where a child should be in terms of developmental milestones.if a child presents with any delay in development I imagine that would be enough for further evidence to be requested from immigration. We were honest regarding my son being autistic from the very start as you need to get the right supporting assessment in place to support your medical if further evidence is asked for. For us we felt if we are honest from the start then we could get organised when our medical came round and have our assessments ready to take to the medical. 

U have a point ...so for us I guess we might have to first get her diagnosed...and than accumulate all the other docs from school n dr

 

bdw did u hv health wavier in ur case or they jst asked for further documents.

[Daisyflowers]

@Vama from our experience having supporting documents from school that your child can/does  maintain an unsupported mainstream placement seems to be the crucial document (assuming there’s no health or other issues). We didn’t have a health waver option on our visa. but we feel confident enough that because he was in transition to mainstream and had no health issues that we were in a position that we felt we should at least try. 

Despite that there was always a plan for mainstream school for our son, we went in knowing there was still the chance of being knocked back because he is autistic (from everything I had read etc). We understood the reasons why immigration are so tight on restrictions (not to say we thought they were fair),  so we just got on with it and did everything we were asked. Being honest and organised was the way we chose to do it. 

[Vama]

Is there possibility that I dont get her diagnosed for autism and just adhd which she has and speech delay and submit the documents from school accordingly as I really don't want her to get labelled. Not for the sake of visa I hvnt got her diagoned but I genuinely don't want her to get labelled autistic.