University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich

The KJPP Zürich offers early intensive behavioural treatment based on ABA. This behavioural intervention is individualised to each child and its particular family situation. Therapy is approximately 35 hours per week for a duration of 2 years. Half of the therapy hours are home-based, and the other half is clinic-based (at the Autism Centre in Zürich). The majority of the direct therapy hours is conducted by the Co-Therapists and the child’s parents, all of which get an intensive training. The coaching and training of the child’s parents is an essential part for effective intervention. Psychologists and/or BCBA’s oversee all interventions and programs which are assessed and adjusted weekly or by-weekly.

Taught skills cover all important developmental areas such as, language and communication, social skills, play skills, cognitive skills and independence skills. The main goal of therapy is to increase the child’s independence in daily life to the highest level possible. The main teaching procedures implemented are Discrete Trial Teaching and Natural Environment Teaching, however, Activity Schedules, Live/Video-modelling and Social Stories are also incorporated.

In the beginning the intervention is focused on mostly one-to-one teaching. As therapy progresses however, the child learns play skills with peers and learning in small groups. To facilitate this goal, the children participate in a Social Skills Group twice a day at the centre.

Transition and integration into kindergarten/school will be provided in cooperation with school districts when appropriate and possible. Function-based assessments and interventions are also implemented for inappropriate behaviours.