ABA, although practiced for several years in Switzerland, is still not widespread and not recognised by the state. In 2013, the first Swiss study (SWISS EIPA) was initiated with the aim of having ABA recognised at the federal level. This longitudinal study is still ongoing, and the first results were published in the journal BMC psychiatry (Studer et al., 2017). To date, 13 professionals are BCBA certified in Switzerland and some centres offer ABA services by trained professionals. See Swiss ABA providers.

References
Studer, N., Gundelfinger, R., Schenker, T., & Steinhausen, H. (2017). Implementation of early intensive behavioural intervention for children with autism in Switzerland. BMC Psychiatry, 17(1). doi: 10.1186/s12888-017-1195-4

History of ABA in Switzerland

Before 2004 there were no ABA services offered by public institutions in Switzerland. A small number of parents did however seek supervision out of foreign countries. Based on the initiative of parents, the CAPS (Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Service) Zurich sent two psychologists to the Lovaas Institute in New Jersey for training. In 2004 the CAPS (which today’s ATZZ is a part of) started the first EIBI in German speaking Switzerland.

Policy and Funding of ABA Services in Switzerland

At this present time ABA is not a state recognised service discipline in Switzerland. It is applied mainly in the area of EIBI (early intensive behavioural intervention) with children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and/or with children, adolescents or adults with ASD other developmental or behavioural disorders.