Bethi Posted May 12, 2016 Report Share Posted May 12, 2016 We are planning on moving to Joondalup WA in this year. We have an 8 year old Autistic son. It makes it very difficult for us to decide on the right suburb as we have to decide on the right school first. Can anyone PLEASE advise as to where the best school for him would be? It can be in Joondalup or surroundings.He is currently in a main stream class with a special education assistant but seems to be struggling. Any help will be much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SML Posted May 12, 2016 Report Share Posted May 12, 2016 I think Duncraig primary have a special program for children who need extra help but am not 100% sure. Try looking at http://autismwest.org.au/about-us/advice/school/, has a lot of info there... Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rozellem Posted May 12, 2016 Report Share Posted May 12, 2016 Bethi, I dont want to sound like a broken record, but just trying to keep you/others on the right track. What visa are you moving to Aus on? It is notoriously difficult for families with Autistic kids to gain PR and citizenship. This is widely known in the visa world you now belong to and makes the news here from time to time, with the families launching campaigns to stay. Hope you are aware of this and ready for the fight. If you are new on the forum, you might want to speak to @Eyebrow and @Estelle Jacobs (I hope I have this right) to get your ducks in a row, while learning from those who have gone before. All the best and I wish you tons of luck with your move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyClare Posted May 12, 2016 Report Share Posted May 12, 2016 I am still in the early phases of applying for a 189 so had not asked the question about school for my son who is 11 and also has autism. He is in a remedial school at the moment but managing to keep up with his grade. I am surprised by what you have written @rozellem. My list of stuff to do once we get a visa is to find a good inclusive school. Are there any groups or chats on this forum that are discussing what it has been like for those already in OZ. If not could we start one, if there is please direct me Thanks Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bethi Posted May 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2016 We have PR. Our son was born in Australia, I have already done a lot of research into schools. But I thought that if someone on this website had personal experience with a school that would be very helpful. A school can look great on the internet but it does not necessarily mean that it is a great school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rozellem Posted May 12, 2016 Report Share Posted May 12, 2016 (edited) Bethi, if you have PR, this is probably more for TracyClare. Forgive me if I dont have all the right terms for everything, but my understanding is: If you have PR and live in Aus when you have the baby (who will automatically have Aus citizenship, by the way), the baby can be born with anything (Downs, or any congenital disorder, or Autism, etc) and the Australian government HAS to look after the child like it would look after any of its citizens with an issue, be it medical and in education. If the child is born outside Aus or even in Aus on a temporary visa like a 457, the government has no such financial obligation to that child. It will assume the child will cost them lots of money. It is then your responsibility to convince them otherwise, which I referred to as the fight. It has been done before and it normally makes the papers here, because it is no mean feat. Estelle was one of the successful ones, getting her son and the family to citizenship. Eyebrow is still here on a 457, scratching away at making herself and her family indispensable to Aus society (by living rural, doing a important job that they struggled to fill locally, etc). The big hurdle comes when your visa process reaches the medical stage. The child can literally fail the medical. Once you have PR, finding a school here will be a walk in the park vs the getting the visa process. Hope this made sense. You can use the search finction at the top if this site to search specific words. Also, a chat to a agent on this forum would also help prepare you for what is to come. Edited May 13, 2016 by rozellem 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gya Posted September 21, 2017 Report Share Posted September 21, 2017 @BethiI share a similar challenge. have moved home to get 2 a special school. My son is almost 5 but low functioning Autism! I hope your journey gets better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RYLC Posted September 21, 2017 Report Share Posted September 21, 2017 Yes passing the medical with Autism can be difficult. There are some visas which include a medical waiver and it would be a good idea to research those. Perhaps one of the agents ( @TeeTMI) can guide you on which ones they are. Your path might not be a straight forward 189 sorry to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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