Questions about living in Germany with special needs

[audenough]

Hello,

My husband is in the army and Kaiserslautern is a possibility for our next move. My son has Sensory Processing Disorder and is currently doing well in a Waldorf school here in the states. Does anyone know anything about he services for kids with Autism or similiar issues (SPD is very similiar to aspects of autism, it is possible my son will eventually be determined to be on the spectrum)? We have been very succesful with a sensory certified occupational therapist here and then the Waldorf school.

We are also Gluten and Dairy free and i'm wondering how hard that would be in Germany.

Any input would be most appreciated.

I should note that I have spent about 6 weeks in Germany and loved it. I am just trying to find out if I could get my son what he needs.

Thanks!

Audrey

[P.J.]

Sorry, I can't help you with the Special Needs question, but I can tell you that Waldorf schools are all over Germany, and much more affordable than they are in the US. My son isn't school-age yet, but he's already registered for a Waldorf kindergarten, and his class will be 30% disabled kids. Not sure how many Waldorf schools do that, but at least our local one here does.

Do you guys speak German? Because that will help a lot in getting information. Maybe look up your local Jugendamt (Youth Services Office) and ask them.

As for gluten and dairy free, I think it should be okay, depending how big the city you live in is. In most big cities there are a variety of health food stores with a wide selection of gluten-free foods. In our local DM (drug store chain) they also carry a line of gluten free bread products (I think there is a thread about gluten-free in Germany somewhere on this forum, look there for more info). If you buy your bread fresh from the health food store, you can get several kinds that are non-wheat. What they don't have here are the variety of vegan cheese products like in the States (like Tofutti).

Good luck!