ABA is not currently recognized as a discipline in Switzerland. Therefore there are very few jobs for behavior analysts ever advertised. Most of us in the field work using another professional credential, e.g. psychologist, speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, special education teacher… and then incorporating ABA in our work. Because despite the lack of recognition, the need for ABA services in Switzerland is massive. The biggest demand is in the field of early intervention for children with autism. The following text focuses on how you can become an ABA professional in the field of autism in Switzerland.
Training
In regards to training there are currently two options:
- You can study ABA at a university abroad. There are many graduate ABA programs at universities in the US as well as in other countries. Many of these programs are also available through distance learning. You can either receive a postgraduate diploma in ABA or a masters in ABA. In order to pursue either option you already need a bachelor’s degree. The postgraduate certificate takes 12-24 months and requires the completion of at least 270 hours of ABA theory and usually some assignments like essays, papers or exams. A masters in ABA usually includes a master thesis on top of this course work and thus normally takes about a year longer to complete.
- You can study ABA in Switzerland. Currently there are two programs available. One is an ABA masters program in Geneva (https://www.esm.ch/formations-geneve/master-aba-analyse-appliquee-du-comportement/). This is a comprehensive ABA curriculum covering all aspects of ABA and taught in French. The other is the intercantonal training for early intensive intervention in autism in Zurich and Geneva. This program teaches ABA as it applies to early intervention for young children with autism. The program incorporates ABA and ESDM and is taught in English (Fondation Pôle Autisme (pole-autisme.ch)).
Practical Experience and Supervision:
In order to become a good ABA professional what is needed foremost is practical experience under supervision. This allows future ABA professionals to develop the necessary skills in the field and learn how to apply them while being mentored by a more experienced professional.
The BACB used to suggest for a person to become an ABA professional they require 1500 hours of work experience with at least 75 hours of supervision along with it. This equals to 1-3 years of supervised work experience before a ABA professional is ready to work on their own.
In Switzerland you can either work in your usual work context, e.g. as a teacher, psychologist, occupational therapist, early educator and so on, and apply ABA in your work context while receiving supervision. The supervision can be delivered in person by an experienced person in Switzerland (see ABA Switzerland Registry) or by a supervisor from abroad through video and online supervision. We recommend to look for an ABA professional either with a BCBA qualification or with a nationally equivalent training and experience background. Another option is to work directly in an early intensive behavioral intervention program. Currently there are several centres offering ABA services to young children with autism. They are hiring staff to deliver the intervention and offer training and supervision as part of the work hours.
The centres or companies we are listing below are either led and/or supervised by a current ABA Switzerland senior member and thus provide high quality ABA. These centres/companies are (alphabetical order):
Another option is to work with an individual practitioner offering ABA services. ABA Switzerland senior members offering supervision (member supervisor) can be found in our registry.
Employment
As there are only few centres offering ABA services in Switzerland, the job opportunities are also limited. Most private practitioners work self-employed. They have their own companies and offer their services to families and schools and then bill them directly.
