Help, any teachers out there?, I'm new to this!

[xveruskax]

Originally Posted by ericinspain

My wife and I are ex international school teachers, having taught in several countries. it's a great way to "escape" and if you can get into a good international school your autistic child will be well cared for. TES is ok but it's not the best way to go about an international teaching post. CIS and Search Associates (not sure if they take you unless you have taught abroad - we used them) have several job fairs around the world including two in London each year. We used to go to the one in Feb when making the decision to move on. We always found something, even though not being highly qualified. The pay is good and usually includes housing, medical insurance, free education, etc. Using an institution like Search, means that the schools have been vetted and you do not end up in an "international school" of little standing offering low salaries and usually dodgy contracts, etc.

Just out of curiosity, what cities were you able to find employment in?

(My wife is interested in teaching in the Paris area, she currently holds a Masters in Fine Arts from the west coast, US)

[hils]

Originally Posted by xveruskax

Just out of curiosity, what cities were you able to find employment in?

(My wife is interested in teaching in the Paris area, she currently holds a Masters in Fine Arts from the west coast, US)

I taught here in the Auvergne for the first 3 years we were here, initially by the local College asking my daughter if I would be interested in being their "assistante". As I already had TEFL experience and a Modern Languages degree, it was a problem neither to me nor to the Rectorat in Clermont - which got me registered with the Rectorat. The Inspection Academique then got to hear of me and they asked if I'd be their "intervenante" in primary schools in the area, the local Catholic primary school also consequently heard of me and requested the same, as did the local Universitaire Populaire, and I ended up running language clubs in schools where I wasn't actually teaching as well .... (I thought I'd come here to semi-retire ...)

Anyway, on the assumption that you're a reasonably fluent French speaker, the advice I can give is to make yourself well-known to local educational establishments - as a volunteer at first, if necessary - and see if you can register as a supply teacher at the Rectorat and Inspection. And you could offer out-of-hours soutien at the PIJ/PAIO. Also to get yourself known, you could take a trip into the local Chambre de Commerce, Mairie and Tourist Office and let it be known what you would like to do and perhaps also that you could translate/interpret if required. As in all other walks of life it's about WHO you know rather than WHAT you know.

It's true that you don't get the full rate for the job, but it has other upsides. The benefit of what happened to me was that I got straight into the Healthcare system, started earning a French state pension, and qualified for pay-related fonctionnaire's unemployment benefit - and RMI - when I needed them. (The downside is that I can't go anywhere in town without getting waylaid so everything takes a million times longer than it should!)

Hope that helps a bit. Good luck.

Hils

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by xveruskax

Just out of curiosity, what cities were you able to find employment in?

(My wife is interested in teaching in the Paris area, she currently holds a Masters in Fine Arts from the west coast, US)

Just be careful, though. I notice that hils is originally from the UK, which means no visa problems/issues.

It is a major question for you (from the US) as to whether or not the Rectorat would be able to sponsor you for a working visa.
Cheers,
Bev

[sixminutes]

123 if your child has Autism...DO NOT COME TO FRANCE... STAY IN THE UK! France has little or no support services for children with ASD. ABA therapy is seen as experimental and you could risk your HF-ASD child losing school placement as he gets older (middle school.. college in france)
I am an Autism Behavior Analyst currently practicing in France... I was contacted by DESPERATE French families to come and assist from the US. The situation and mentality of treating children with ASD is about 40-50 years BEHIND the USA!

While I understand the need for a change in lifestyle, I would strongly advise considering your child's placement in educational settings abroad as a deciding factor on where you plan to relocate. It makes no sense to move to another country and get less services than in your home country. As you know a child with autism has different needs and those needs can be stressful for a family, even when the child is HF. There is no need to add additional stress by moving (which is stressful in itself) to a place where there is less support for you and your child.
Just my 2 cents....

[xveruskax]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Just be careful, though. I notice that hils is originally from the UK, which means no visa problems/issues.

It is a major question for you (from the US) as to whether or not the Rectorat would be able to sponsor you for a working visa.
Cheers,
Bev

Yes, thank you Bev. This simple fact will certainly continue to haunt my family and I for a long time. I like to stay positive and hope for the best but that alone will not change the circumstances that favor other EU citizens. It's just but it also makes things hard for us.

Sixminutes, you said you're an interventionist, are you a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst)? You apparently are able to work as a recognized professional in France. I ask because I'm in the special education field (from the west coast) and am still finishing up my studies. I've received a certificate in applied behavior analysis in educational settings as well as a certificate in autism from a university, I'm also close to completing a masters in school/educational psychology. Anyways, I qualify to complete BCBA hours to stand to take the certification but was not certain whether I should go forward with becoming board certified. It's very much up in the air. Would you recommend it for someone considering moving to France, meaning, is there a great need for qualified professionals in that field? Thanks in advance for any information.

[ericinspain]

Originally Posted by xveruskax

Just out of curiosity, what cities were you able to find employment in?

(My wife is interested in teaching in the Paris area, she currently holds a Masters in Fine Arts from the west coast, US)

My first response centred around the fact that you were considering possibly "getting away". It seems that you are looking at Europe whereas my wife and I have ventured a little further afield through (mainly the two organizations mentioned previously - CIS, Search Associates). For what it's worth then, since 2001 we have taught in Windhoek- Namibia, Colombo-Sri Lanka, Singapore-Singapore, Khartoum-Sudan. Bon Chance!!

[xveruskax]

Originally Posted by ericinspain

My first response centred around the fact that you were considering possibly "getting away". It seems that you are looking at Europe whereas my wife and I have ventured a little further afield through (mainly the two organizations mentioned previously - CIS, Search Associates). For what it's worth then, since 2001 we have taught in Windhoek- Namibia, Colombo-Sri Lanka, Singapore-Singapore, Khartoum-Sudan. Bon Chance!!

That sounds like quite an adventure, sir. We are as you noticed, primarily interested in Europe, specifically France. Thanks for the resources. In time, I'll be contacting them.

Originally Posted by sixminutes

123 if your child has Autism...DO NOT COME TO FRANCE... STAY IN THE UK! France has little or no support services for children with ASD. ABA therapy is seen as experimental and you could risk your HF-ASD child losing school placement as he gets older (middle school.. college in france)
I am an Autism Behavior Analyst currently practicing in France... I was contacted by DESPERATE French families to come and assist from the US. The situation and mentality of treating children with ASD is about 40-50 years BEHIND the USA!

Hopefully, you are available to answer the questions I posed to you above. Thanx.