[FabCakeLady]

We will be relocating to Rome in the new year. We have an autistic son (ASD/Aspergers) and I am wondering how autism is viewed in Italy and whether there are any support groups etc etc. Can anyone share their experience of a move to Italy with an autistic child? Thanks!

 

[mamachka]

I hope you get an answer to this...the though of this move for you must be challenging and nervewracking without these answers!

Blessings!

 

[FabCakeLady]

Thank you for your thoughts! I have not had any replies to my post. But we have always felt quite alone when it comes to my son!

I am a little anxious about the move! The company my husband works for is pulling out of the Midlands in the UK and so we have to move. But at least he has his job! Although I have been lucky enough to travel lots throughout my life I have never been to Italy! It is a fabulous opportunity even if very daunting!

Wishing you all the best too.

 

[mamachka]

OK so I tried to send you a pm (private message) and it looked like it went through, but my inbox said that I have sent o messages...but I could see my messages to you when I click on your name, so I guess my posts came out on your public page? I deleted them.

Anyone here know how to send a pm?

 

[Suenneil]

OK so I tried to send you a pm (private message) and it looked like it went through, but my inbox said that I have sent o messages...but I could see my messages to you when I click on your name, so I guess my posts came out on your public page? I deleted them.

Anyone here know how to send a pm?

for some reason "sent" message take ages to register in the "sent items" it should have gone through ok.

Just going back to the original post I did find a website for the Autism Society in Italy - but it is written in Italian of course so unsure if this is of any use to you ??

Sue lane:

 

[mamachka]

for some reason "sent" message take ages to register in the "sent items" it should have gone through ok.

Just going back to the original post I did find a website for the Autism Society in Italy - but it is written in Italian of course so unsure if this is of any use to you ??

Sue lane:

Hi Sue,

But when I click on her "view public page" I am (was...I deleted it) seeing my post to her. Which I really didn't want out in the open.

Now I do not see any symbol for a private message, so I am thinking they are all public. Is that true?


On another note...I like your "chatty" signature!

 

[Suenneil]

Hi Sue,

But when I click on her "view public page" I am (was...I deleted it) seeing my post to her. Which I really didn't want out in the open.

Now I do not see any symbol for a private message, so I am thinking they are all public. Is that true?


On another note...I like your "chatty" signature!

Hiya

OK you can only send private messages after making a certain number of posts (5 I think!) .... so if the person you are trying to send the PM to hasnt made enough posts they wont be able to accept PMs either. Provided both of you have made the required number of posts on the forum you will have the facility to use the Private Message system .... it will show up as an option then.

Hope that makes sense Im having a bad start to my day lol so my brain is a little bit off !!

Thanks for the compliment by the way .... Sue

 

[jojo]

hold on, I think you have to change something on your profile to enable your account to show sent messages. They go to the recipient alright, but you dont get to keep a copy???? If thats the problem have a root around and so will i and let you know

Jo xxx

 

[jojo]

.... back to your question. If I were you, I think I'd phone one of the international/British schools in the area you're looking at (have a google) and ask them if they have any info. They may not be able to help you directly, but they may know about how things work over there???

Jo xx

 

[FabianVH]

Help with Autism in Italy

We will be relocating to Rome in the new year. We have an autistic son (ASD/Aspergers) and I am wondering how autism is viewed in Italy and whether there are any support groups etc etc. Can anyone share their experience of a move to Italy with an autistic child? Thanks!

Hi. I am wondering how you are going with support for your Autistic son in Italy? I also will be relocating to Italy in about 8 months and our 5 yo son also has been diagnosed with Autism. I am in two minds as here in Australia the government has granted funding to families with Autistic Child for early intervention, which has helped tremendously. Don’t think the Italian Gov has a similar scheme. Please let me know what your experience was. Also if there is any one else out there in Italy that can shed so light on the subject I will appreciate it.

 

[pudd 2]

when we were in england we used to take autistic children into our house to give the parents a break , Our exprerance is limeted here but we have an italian freand who has an autistic doughter // he speaks perfect english i can ask him for imformaiton if you like we live in abruzzo just 2 hrs away on the motor way , if we can be of any help to we will be pleased to help not sure how to contact you perhaps one of the admin can tell me

 

[FabianVH]

when we were in england we used to take autistic children into our house to give the parents a break , Our exprerance is limeted here but we have an italian freand who has an autistic doughter // he speaks perfect english i can ask him for imformaiton if you like we live in abruzzo just 2 hrs away on the motor way , if we can be of any help to we will be pleased to help not sure how to contact you perhaps one of the admin can tell me

I would be so grateful if you can ask your Italian friend for information, i think i can send you a private message with my email address so we can share information and possibly communicate directly with your friend.

 

[pudd 2]

hi fabian i dont think yopu can private mesage me you havent posted enugh go to www. oweners direct and put in propertys in abruzzo and look for casa pretoro or just google casa pretoro and my email tel no every thing whil apear i hope this helps then we can move forward i am the owener of casa pretoro

 

[BellaItalia]

Special Education teacher to a child with Autism

We will be relocating to Rome in the new year. We have an autistic son (ASD/Aspergers) and I am wondering how autism is viewed in Italy and whether there are any support groups etc etc. Can anyone share their experience of a move to Italy with an autistic child? Thanks!

Hello,

I am wondering if you could share with me what kind of replies you recieved?

I am a teacher at an international school in Trieste, Italy with an austistic student whose parents (they are Italian) do no accept that he is autistic. From my experience thus far in this position there is a lack awareness about Autism and not a lot of understanding or acceptance of it.

Thank you!

 

[FabianVH]

Help with Autism in Italy

Hello,

I am wondering if you could share with me what kind of replies you recieved?

I am a teacher at an international school in Trieste, Italy with an austistic student whose parents (they are Italian) do no accept that he is autistic. From my experience thus far in this position there is a lack awareness about Autism and not a lot of understanding or acceptance of it.

Thank you!

I can understand that they do not accept it especially if the autism is mild. As our child, he attends a main stream school in AU and he has his good days and bad days. We will be arriving in Italy in March 2011 and through this forum have a phone number to a family with a autistic girl, I will phone them to get info on there situation and experience. I will pass this on. If anyone out there has contacts to families, organisations etc, please let me know.

 

[pudd 2]

I can understand that they do not accept it especially if the autism is mild. As our child, he attends a main stream school in AU and he has his good days and bad days. We will be arriving in Italy in March 2011 and through this forum have a phone number to a family with a autistic girl, I will phone them to get info on there situation and experience. I will pass this on. If anyone out there has contacts to families, organisations etc, please let me know.

hi fabian if the number you have the one i gave byou they are awaiting your call luigi and mara they are very good freands of mine and whill help you roy

 

[Elliecat]

Hi, I have lived in Italy for approx 9 months and from my experience there is virtually no help or special schools for Autistic children. I myself have a young brother with Aspergers syndrome so I know the challenges you face in general with an autistic child in the UK. I have a friend here who has worked as a children's teacher for at least 3 to 4 schools and each time has had some pupils who were either autistic or challenged and tried to advise the parents and look into special schools for them, she found virtually nothing except maybe in the big towns. It all depends on where you will move to, but I would say the best thing to do is to contact the british embassy and ask them, but like I said before I wouldn't have too much hope as Italy's education system is very behind when it comes to special needs.

I hope you find what you are looking for. Ciao

 

[mamachka]

ltaly

I started out in this forum thinking we (My family) were relocating to Canada. But My husband's company that use to stress their wonderful benefits of relocation sang a different tune when the economy started struggling. We were so due for a change and had so many shattered dreams. Italy had also been another possibility. Those dreams of experiences and living were now dashed.

We have been trying to get there without that company, and we are now seeing that as Americans it is nearly impossible to do unless you have married an Italian citizen, or another EU citizen and you move to that country or If you yourself are a European citizen as a single. Or you can prove Italian heritage which my hsband has, but has no paperwork from the grandparents as his parents are gone and he has no idea where any of their stuff went.

But, I do have some info for those in the pescara Abruzzo region.

Alba-Associazione Abruzzese liberi bambini dall’autismo con l’ABA

Address
Via D'Avalos 66
Pescara, Italy 65126
Website
www.albautismo.it
Email
[email protected]

I believe they are an organization that does ABA with children with Autism.



Please...If anyone has ANY ideas how to get to Italy for an Americans (not married to a spouse European citizen) please share! Thank you!

Blessings HTH.

 

[Arturo.c]

I'd like to add my two cents on the issue, as an Italian expat with an Autistic child (8 y.o.) born in the US and raised part in Japan and part in the US, I did some research when my posting was over and I had to go back in Italy for at least 18 months before I could apply for my next posting abroad.

Awareness about autism is still low in Italy, and since the level of school and social services varies greatly with location and is exclusively available in Italian, I decided to split temporarily from my family and leave my American wife and my kids in California (where she has a home) and stay in Italy by myself until my next posting came.

Before I was due to go back to Italy we compiled a list of "International" schools in Rome (where my office HQ is located, and the majority of the local expat community as well), and we sent to the ones who looked best on paper a lengthy e-mail detailing our kids' educational needs and their school level, putting emphasis on our son's disability. We got eight replies, two of them negative (of the kind "We're sorry, but our school is not equipped to care for special needs kids.." etc.).

We planned a visit several months ahead of my return date and made appointments with the remaining school. we prepared a "file" for each one of them with copies of previous evaluations of my son made by specialists in the US and a CD with videos of him in class and undergoing occupational therapy and ABA sessions, just to make them understand his attitude and dispel eventual fears about his behavioral issues.

Almost all the visits were disappointing. We could tell from the start that they were just doing a favour to us by giving a tour of their facilities, but had no intention whatsoever to take our kids in (with comments like: "You know, the waiting list for next school year is already very long..." or "Usually expatriate parents with special needs kids put them in special boarding schools"). One headmaster even had the nerve of telling us that they would have had no problem in accepting our application for enrollment, only to e-mail us the following day to deny everything she said to us the day before.

Only two international schools in Rome were willing to take our children in and accommodate an "aide" for our autistic son (to be paid separately by us), but one was extremely expensive, and the other one didn't have availability in their classes for my son's school year.

Therefore my only choice was to split the family for as long as I had to be in Italy...

 

[Arturo.c]

Or you can prove Italian heritage which my husband has, but has no paperwork from the grandparents as his parents are gone and he has no idea where any of their stuff went.

In my opinion your husband should make an effort to locate the city of origin of his family, where there could be the family records that could prove his heritage and pave the way to obtain his coveted Italian nationality.

You say his parents are gone, but doesn't he have any living aunts or uncles who could tell him about his grandparents' original names and dates of birth? Once he is able to obtain their certificates of birth and/or census/naturalization papers, he could start the paper trail to get everything together.

Look in the "Italian Citizenship Message Board" for useful tips and advice.