Moving abroad?

[Anonymous]

What are you looking for in another country doesn’t exist. You can’t even get Australia visa if you are autistic. Regardless all the flaws, here is still the safest place for special needs.
Maybe seek another state instead?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. As others have stated-you are speaking from a place of privilege as other countries don’t have nearly the amount of support for special needs kids. I work in the special needs community and you literally have no idea if you think other countries have better special ed services.

2. Moving permanently to another country gets sensationalized and it is EXTREMELY difficult. You cannot just decide to move to another country. If you think the US immigration laws are tough-you have clearly never looked into other countries rules about it.

3. Moving abroad is insanely difficult for families without a child with special needs-it will likely be close to impossible with one. Other countries do not willingly take on a drain on resources.

4. Being sponsored by a job will likely be your only chance.

All of this.

I taught in a public school with a program for HFA. Every year, we got at least one student whose family had been expat and then moved back to the states within a year after they got diagnosed.

I’ve been looking at options for my 19 year old. It’s grim.

[Anonymous]

We're longtime expats and I'm a teacher. I've taught at international school in every country where we've lived (moving with dh's job). So far, I've taught in 6 countries in Western Europe (including the UK and Germany), the Middle East, and Asia.

The best international schools have been in Germany and the Asian country where we are now. However, support for special needs/disabilities has been much less robust in every single school/country compared to what you would get in DC.

The education system in the UK is in a bad state, maybe worse than in the US. There is a massive teacher shortage in their state schools due to all the same reasons as in the US, AND the current government has recently introduced a controversial VAT tax on private schools, which means tuition increase of about 22%. Many private schools have been forced to close, and the ones that remain open are often hanging on by a thread and cutting corners where possible. I do not recommend the UK at this time.

Germany was probably the best at providing services at our international school, with American counselors and support, but also, kids who weren't going to be able to handle the IB DP were generally "counseled out" at the end of 10th grade, and I still wouldn't say that the services provided up to that point were in any way as good as what you would get in DC.

My current international school in Asia has a full counseling team and Student Support department with services, but it isn't as good as what you'd get in DC. While it is an international school with expats from many countries, there ar a substantial number of Asian kids from the local country and neighboring countries, and in those cultures, there is still a stigma attached to having a learning disability or special needs, so I'm not sure I would want a child of mine in that situation to be in this environment.

In short, you aren't going to find anything as good as what you get in DC for your child. I know it is trendy to complain in America about what we've got and imagine that things are so much better in other countries, but the fact remains that at least in this area, the US is superior to what you'll find anywhere else.

Plus, as someone else noted, it isn't easy to just move to another country. We go with dh's job, and I could probably get a visa on my own as a teacher, but for most people, it isn't easy. There are some countries that would be easier, but they aren't going to offer a good life for your child.

[Anonymous]

You can’t just decide to move to another country. That’s not how it works. Also most people who have ASD kids with significant needs are trying to move to the U.S. for services.