Moving abroad to Panamá with neurodivergent school-aged kids
A Brave New World: Part 1 of 2
A Brave New World Part 1 of 2: Moving to Central America with school-aged kids
Relocating to a new country is a significant life change, and doing so with a neurodiverse child adds layers of consideration. When we moved from Texas to Panama with our then-9-year-old son, who is autistic (with a PDA profile), ADHD, and dyslexic, we knew planning and adaptability would be key.
Here, I’m sharing what we learned to help other families who might be considering a similar move.
We moved to Panama from Texas with our then 9 year old. He is neurodiverse - autistic with a PDA profile, ADHD and dyslexic. We were wrapping up 8 years of speech therapy when we made the move, but occupational and ABA had ended a few years back.
Managing Diagnoses from Afar
Based on my research, I am confident that if we needed them again, we could find English-speaking speech and occupational therapy resources in our city. Because we are back and forth to the US, we have not changed neurologists as yet, but I am keeping track of local providers just in case. His prescriptions get filled on a 90-day basis in the US. Important: some medicines are not available in every country so make a plan to either switch to something locally prescribed or find an alternative path.
Getting It
I’ve found that with a language barrier, my kiddo’s directness does not hit quite as sharply as in primarily English-speaking places. We can smile and brush off some of it as “lost in translation” haha. The people in my building mostly get it, I hope. We do have well-meaning aunties that will walk up to him at the grocery store and point out that his shirt is inside-out and worn backwards (tags, ya know) but I explain “autismo” and hopefully they get the gist. I need to learn how to say in Spanish … if it’s not a health and safety thing people, please keep walking!!!
Familiar Foods
We got a PriceSmart membership to take advantage of the “savings” on familiar snacks like Goldfish and Mott’s Apple Juice. But we have to load up on other unavailable snacks like Pirates Booty whenever we travel to the US. Check the grocery stores carefully for your needed items. They have lots of dairy-free and gluten-free products (hello Bob Red Mill!) but the dye-free genre is a big zero. I bring dye-free baking supplies like natural food coloring and sprinkles with me, because artificial food coloring triggers negative behaviors. Imported foods are expensive and if it is a staple (vs a treat), that additional cost can add up fast. We turned it into an adventure to taste test the frozen chicken tenders with acceptable ingredient lists at the grocery store to decide on which one would be the new go-to brands. Imported brands are available but at a steep markup (e.g $6 for local vs $14 for Perdue or Tyson).
Managing Food Allergies
If food allergies are a concern, research the prevalence and general cultural norms around allergies at your destination. I feel like tree nuts, coconut and sesame seeds are either in or garnishing everything here in Panama - so while not a problem for my immediate family I know this would be an issue for other family members coming to visit. Servers at larger restaurant establishments will ask when attending to you, but who knows what protocols are being employed to keep you safe. Make sure you bring your Epipens and have an emergency plan.
Essentials Checklist
Get the checklist every parent of a neurodiverse child should have before relocating abroad.
Use this checklist to evaluate whether a potential destination will meet your family’s needs when relocating with a neurodiverse child.
Please tap the heart emoji 💛 if you found this helpful!
Your "like" helps more families considering this journey discover our experience.