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.

Anonymous wrote:My kids were in schools overseas and special education was a battle. We looked at a variety of schools there, including a British school and the Canadian school. The ones that people flocked to for the best services for their ASD kids were American schools. So, look for an international American school and interview them first to ensure they have what you’re looking for.

Despite flaws in the US, for these types of services it’s an American school, no question.

I know execs who turned down expat assignments in China and Korea because of this. Also a very high-level executive (within top 10 execs at F100 company) who kept his family stateside during his overseas role because of ASD kid needs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Frontier ABA does consulting for your exact situation - she does international consultation for families with autism:

https://frontieraba.com/about/

She lives in the middle of Kenya?

I didn’t recommend this person and don’t know her but I’d guess she has experience with a number of international moves and how to research and find proper supports. My kid had special Ed services overseas and there is some overlap and communication between expats in this area.

Anonymous wrote:Frontier ABA does consulting for your exact situation - she does international consultation for families with autism:

https://frontieraba.com/about/

She lives in the middle of Kenya?

Frontier ABA does consulting for your exact situation - she does international consultation for families with autism:

https://frontieraba.com/about/

My kids were in schools overseas and special education was a battle. We looked at a variety of schools there, including a British school and the Canadian school. The ones that people flocked to for the best services for their ASD kids were American schools. So, look for an international American school and interview them first to ensure they have what you’re looking for.

Despite flaws in the US, for these types of services it’s an American school, no question.

You will not find robust ASD offerings in another country.

All are national health with rationing.

I think if you've got money and are in a big or medium city in a 1st world country especially the UK and Canada, you'll find most things. But if you can't pay out of pocket, it'll be much worse.

Where we were, a lot of services were expat American trailing spouse moms working on their licensing online or just moonlighting as a casual speech therapist. Not the same level of quality but it's something, and nice to have a speaker of American English if that's what you prefer.

I can tell you will not find equivalent services in Canada, England or Ireland. I don’t know as much about Australia or New Zealand, but my guess is it’s the same there too.

Are you funding Ivymount or are they placed there by the public schools?

I agree that publicly funded programs are better here than anywhere except maybe Canada. But I don't know about privately funded options. Ivymount is incredibly expensive, and if you're paying that, you might be able to purchase similar services in other countries.

If your child is doing well at Ivymount, you are crazy to think about moving for theoretical reasons. That's a privilege people with seriously disabled dc do not have.

Everyone I know who moves to the US from abroad is amazed at how much better the services are for their kids here than in Europe, Asia, or Australia. I have worked with a good number of people who have been stationed in the US for 2-3 years who have had kids with learning issues or ADHD or Autism who dread returning to their home countries because the services offered to help their kid are so much worse than what you get in the US. They think the parents in the US are crazy with their complaints about services because the services here are that much more plentiful then overseas.

You won’t find better services outside the US. You might try a different state, what are you seeking to gain?

Seeking experience/ recommendations for English speaking countries with robust ASD offerings similar to dc area? Child is at Ivymount and 10. America aligning less and less with what I want for my kids..