Hello, I am a mother with a son who was diagnosed with Autism Level 2 last 2016. We are currently in Canada now on a visitor's visa and we are extending our stay as I am working on my work permit and he is on the visitor's as well. I read that kids can go to school without any student permit needed.. So my question/concern is, can I also let him join a special education school here as well? I really want him to continue socializing since we are only stuck at home in and out to the park everyday and depending on online classes. I really hope some people who has the same experience as me give me advice about this. Thank you so much!
Mom with a 6-year old autistic son on a visitor's visa
- Thread starter saisaineri
- Start date
Once you are on a valid work permit then your minor child can attend school without a study permit. I assume your child will be able to join a special education program.
You will need to contact and register your child with the local school board. Do it as soon as possible, as some boards don’t have special education classes or there is a waiting list. If you child needs assistance in the classroom, again you need to talk with the school board as they need to set up an Individual Education Plan for your child. Budgeting for staff is done now for September so if you need special accommodations, it may not be ready by September. Again not all schools boards have special educations classes. If you want to go to a special education school, there are private ones that you pay for.
Don’t think OP has actually secured a WP. Given the resources needed for special education there is likely going to be some checks to see if the child has status to study in Canada not to mention there are wait lists for most autism services p.
Hello, sorry but I didn't get what OP means.. and does it mean that it's going to be difficult for him to study in a special school and get therapies?
Thanks.. i'll do my best to be able to enroll him somehow. I'm not very hopeful about it but i really want to know if he can go to a special school or have therapies on a student visa
Just want to clarify do you have a work permit and are you working? It doesn’t sound like it but I want to make sure.
Don’t know where you live but public schools don’t have “special schools.” They go to the same school as all students. There may or not be a classroom dedicated for kids with specific needs. He may get support in the classroom depending on his needs but few kids get 1:1 support. As for therapies, you pay out of pocket for that - speech, occupational, tutoring, social skills, assessments etc. Depending where you live there may be waiting lists for those services.
In the larger cities there are schools for those with more severe special needs. In those schools they do have OT, PT, speech pathology, nursing, etc. In regular public schools you can have services come in to work with students for a session of speech pathology for example. For autism services it really depends on the province and level of disability. There can be special centres that students attend part-time or even full-time. What amount is covered depends on the province and depends on where you are on the wait list. It is still unclear whether the mother is working. If not, the child is not entitled to free public schooling. There are some school districts that look the other way about immigration status .but when it comes to expensive services the family's status in Canada and when they arrived will likely be examined.. There are often very long wait lists for services and assume that priority often goes to those who have status and have arrived as visitors recently.
Agree. The issue is waitlists at public schools. Yes, they may have OT, PT and speech but without a diagnosis, you will be on a waiting list. Plus what they can do in a school setting is limited and not daily or weekly (sometimes only monthly). Same for schools designed for those with special needs…you need a diagnosis and then there will be a waiting list. For autism services, if you can pay for it privately or have some work insurance coverage, this is best path because you don’t wait for care.
For anyone with chronic illness or special needs the reality is that you end up supplementing public services with your own money because some things are not covered, there are waitlists or you are only approved to get a certain amount of services. Just wanted to clarify that school for special needs children still exist but it is only for very high needs students. There is some variability by provinces but in general there is a push to mainstream children with autism or other special needs and there are less teachers aides especially one on on aides for budget reasons. It sounds like this family moved to Canada assuming that they'd be able to get a WP and remain in Canada. That is actually much harder than people thing and given the higher unemployment rate due to covid it may be harder. An extension is not guaranteed for the mother and child because it is pretty obvious that they are not intending to be temporary visitors.
Thanks. This is very true.. i am not expecting to be priorotized right away but im hoping in the near future.