I'm living in Switzerland since more than two years but I'm new to this forum!!
I'm writing because I'm trying to find a job (or just some help!) for my girlfriend who is living in Italy and would like to move to join me!!
She graduated in Italy in Neuro and Psychomotor Therapy for kids. We are working on the conversion of her degree to a Swiss one. It's a degree that is provided in Switzerland as well (in Zurich and Geneva for sure) and it's very similar to other degrees you may be more familiar with, meaning Occupational Therapy and Ergotherapy.
She's working with different kind of disabled kids (e.g., with paralysis, learning disorders) since three years and she has quite lot of experience with autism as well (especially TEACCH method). She's also working in schools.
We don't know much at the moment about this field in Switzerland. Any kind of help would be very much appreciated....
If someone needs a person with such experience or can just address us somewhere, would be great!!
Hello there, there are plenty schools in Switzerland that cater to such children and they are called Heilpedagogische Sonderschulen. Here is a google search link...many of them have a website...
Any ideas of possibilities that don't require to speak German?
Actually we are more looking in the French part of Switzerland or anyway for a position in which English is enough (we speak Italian, French and English).
BTW, how would you call in French the "Heilpedagogische Sonderschulen"?
we are a French family looking for a therapist for our 8-year old son, we are in Basel and we need someone ideally Wednesdays afternoons after 2.00 pm, some time on week-ends and possibly late afternoons Mon-Tues-Thur-Fri after 5.00 pm.
We can speak English but it is preferable to communicate in French with our son
For that age, the first step is to arrange an appointment with a paediatrician - they can explain the system and refer you.
Also, find the links (search the forum using the keyword 'autism') to the autism association.
Your problem will be that the "iv" which is a form of insurance that covers permanent disability, is not accessible if you are not a swiss citizen or the child does not have a "c" permit, so you will be reliant on the basic swiss health insurance plus your own finances...particularly until age 4-5 when they reach 'school age'...
I am curious to know how they diagnosed autism in such a small child... I know the techniques are changing quickly but most parents take a while to recognise something is 'amiss' and then it takes time for the wheels to turn...
There are some sophisticated therapies and support systems available... I am sure the paediatrician can help you work out how to access these...
I came to Basel for my project assignment from India, and I am not Swiss citizen, so I have no idea if medical insurance covers these therapies or not.
There are some behaviors of my son which ring the bell and then we consulted doctors who confirmed that he is autistic. His behavior like :
No eye contact
Does not play with his own age of children and will go to one corner and play himself.
Does not respond when calling by his name
No communication
Sometimes repetitive activities
These are some of his behaviors seeing which doctor confirmed that he falls under Autism spectrum. Now, he is on special diet , Gluten free food. Also going for ABA .
Now I want to know if these therapies or any medications available in Basel for Autism or not.
I think I need to enquire about insurance too.
Please let me know if any doctors specialized in Autism is known to you.
You might take a look at this website: http://www.allspecialkids.org/wp/ as it appears to be a great resource for kids with special needs and abilities. Although it looks like Geneva, and Zurich are their main locations they may have contacts in areas closer to where you are located.
You are smart to seek assistance for your child early as they are learning more and more the benefits of early intervention. The recommendation above about finding a good pediatrician is spot on as they will probably be the one to help you decide what additional therapies might be of benefit etc.
Also contact as a matter of urgency the childhood early intervention unit who coordinate all the services and therapies on offer for children with any sort of development delay. They will be the ones to orientate you as to where to seek actual therapies and further help.
Note that ABA therapy is very infrequent in CH - although there are two centres that offer it and one, you are in luck, is in Munchenstein, Baselland. The early intervention unit will be able to tell you more.
This information is accurate and recent - we have a 6 yr old autistic boy who was diagnosed by Professor Weber and his team and we used various early intervention services.
Payment for these services will be a big theme. You cannot access federal disability insurance as you must have been paying into the AHV system for at least 12 months before the birth of your child. Insurance companies will try their very best to give you the brush off. You will be caught between a rock and a hard place and this issue may well be important enough to make you reconsider your long term future in CH.
This charity were excellent in helping us get information about insurance. They filled in forms, rung people up etc. Unfortunately I think they only cover Baselland so as you are in Baselstadt, just give them a ring and ask if they are the right organisation for Baselstadt too, and if not, ask them to tell you who is. Their services were initially free and then subsequently covered by the federal insurance scheme once we were accepted by that scheme.