FEDEA school in morges switzerland for autistic kids

[Ledzepp]

Hi everyone i am looking for some feedback on the FEDEA school. I plan to take my son there but unfortunately there aren't many parents review on the school available. Can anybody give me feedback on this school. Will appreciate.

[Chmomfrom]

Hello! I was a parent for 2 years in FEDEA and created this account just to say STOP to you ! It is the worst place to be for a child in the spectrum!
The idea is great and they sell it with cherry on the top. “Personalized program to find the highest potential of the child”.
But unfortunately the reality is not the case. The “school” is very very very expensive and you get not much in return. The children have their very very small cubes where they do not have much choice and the unexperienced trainees are trying to teach the kids “something” with ZERO respect and zero interaction.

My child was high functioning and desperately needed social interaction with mainstream kids. This is something the school cannot provide. The kids have no interaction with anyone, no real life situation or no support for social skills.

Half of the day is spent in their chair (if not punished to have a time out), doing unneeded and useless work and the second half is spent to have a 1 hour very unprofessional sports. (For example for tennis: they wait 15 minutes in line to hit the ball and they just hit the ball for 4 times a week… what do they learn ? Nothing ).

The manager and the owner of the school, created this place just for her son who is also in the spectrum and she is adding new age groups every few years as her son gets older (he’s a grown up by now).

As a summary: my child lost 2 precious years , hoping that he will learn new skills. Nothing came out of it. We lost lots of precious money.

stay away from that place . It is a trap. She catches you like a spider and would not let you go out. We were lucky that we found a way “out” . I was feeling so hopeless there.

good luck

[Adeola5321]

Hi,

Lovely to meet everyone here, I have just joined this forum specifically for this thread.
I was initially happy to have found the FEDEA site but reading all the comments, I am horrified!
My son has a diagnosis identical to your's and if you don't mind, I am curious as to what schools you have now shortlisted.
Myself and family will be moving to Ch by the end of this year and I have been very worried about finding the right school for him.

Thanks a lot.

[senwarrior]

@leonfestinger my last message was meant for you, but I figured out too late how to tag you...

[senwarrior]

Having trained in ABA in the UK and having done it for 5 years, I have to say that ABA itself has moved on from what you describe as traumatic (just like medicine has moved on from doing lobotomies) and incorporating more play therapy and natural environment teaching. However it is true that a program must be being run by a board certified behaviour analyst for it to well supervised. ABA is effective in teaching kids necessary life skills, like learning to request things through speech or sign or PECS instead of grabbing. The school I worked at in the UK was amazing and even OFSTED commented on how happy the children were to be there. So ABA done properly is not traumatic. Before bashing ABA, do some research, please.

[jrc1071]

Hello All!

I joined the forum specifically for this thread.

I came to CH in 2007 and had my son in 2013. I am originally from the US, and am a solo parent (no family here and father moved to South America 5 years ago).

My son was DX with high functioning autism last fall: ADHD, dyspraxia, sensory processing and high potential. His psychiatrist asked for a second opinion and he did the testing at La Libelulle in Lausanne (they are amazing).

We have been beyond struggling with the public school in our village. They have been slow to react, despite having quarterly meetings with the healthcare professionals.

My son's education needs are not being met, and as expected and common with autism, he is being bullied at school (even physically assaulted). He feels like an outsider, is very unhappy with school and his social life.

I asked for SESAF last month, and the school said it was not possible because my son's grades are good. They said his issues are psychological (duh, welcome to neurodiversity) and it is not their responsibility to manage it in the classroom, and that SESAF is designed for differnet handicaps

The pediatrican sent an email last week to the school dean demanding SESAF support (along with the psyche) and to date the school has yet to respond.

To that end, I am looking for another school for him.

I appreciate the feedback on FEDEA here, as I was looking at it and now, based on the (horrifying) feedback, it is not an option.

I live in the Lavaux area, and I heard there is an autism school in Lutry/Pully area.

I also met with Haut Lac (pricey), and they have small class size (ENG tranche only 8 kids) and can provide specialized learning.

We are also considering to move to Zug, where they are more advanced and supportive of autism as opposed to Vaud.

So.... what would be really helpful, as we cannot relocate for 1-2 years,

1. any recommendations for autism schools for high functioning children in the Lausanne Montreux region
2. local support groups for English speaking parents (we do speak FR, however as an ex-pat, our needs are much different than local families)
3. pediatric psychotherapist/psychiatrist who speaks ENG and is trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (CBT is ok, stronger preference for DBT)

Thank you so much for your help in this!!!

@Rachvdg @Lancaster888 did you find a school in Vaud?

[leonfestinger]

Hello sorry for the incredibly late response. I had no choice to move from Switzerland after leaving that job as they removed me from accommodation on my last working day - while expecting me to also work.

My job was in the UK so sorry I couldn’t help with that. One thing I must mention is that many autistic adults have had extremely traumatic experiences with ABA so if there are alternative routes to please explore them- speech and language, play/sensory/art therapy. There’s lots of support groups for ‘survivors of ABA’ that are ran by autistic adults. Just something to keep in mind especially if you’ve had any niggling thoughts or concerns

[Rachvdg]

Hi LeonFestinger - could you tell me which school you are now working for? Is it in the same area? I am really trying to find a good school for my two children 7/9yrs Autism/ADHD to go to when we come back to Vaud soon.

Thanks for letting me know. Any recommendations from anyone for GOOD schools you know that treat kids with kindness and respect even with Autism would be very helpful!

[Lancaster888]

I really appreciate your feedback and will invite any other members to comment on what mat be the best route to take when making an internal move with high functioning, autistic child.

Many thanks!

[senwarrior]

Hi @Lancaster888

I am not aware schools using ABA in Switzerland, but there is a website ABA Switzerland which might be a good starting point,

www.abaswitzerland.ch/for-the-public/swiss-aba-providers-and-practitioners/

I'm sorry I don't have any insight about the Swiss schooling system and how flexible they might be. Here in the UK some schools are pretty open to ABA and others are not.

[Lancaster888]

Hello,

I too opened this account for a very serious inquiry about my son's future schooling in options in Switzerland and to inquire about FEDEA.

I am an American and we are seriously considering moving our offices to Switzerland. We also have a 6 year old son with Autism who has received ABA ABBLs programming in school for 2,5 plus years. I am not an expert, but do have several years as an home trained parent and well read parent who utilizes mands, tacts, intervertebrals whenever I am with my son. He doesn't have intellectual or physical disabilities based on 20 plus hour neuropsychological exam from NIH in Maryland, USA. Diagnosis is Language Disorder with expressive language as the biggest hurdle to overcome. IQ is average and above in a few arees.

I was wondering in your personal opinion, if you know of or could recommend researching specific ABA groups, or schools utilizing ABA practices both in public and private school settings.

Thank you kindly,

M. Lancaster

[Lancaster888]

Hello,

I too opened this account for a very serious inquiry about my son's future schooling in options in Switzerland and to inquire about FEDEA.

I am an American and we are seriously considering moving our offices to Switzerland. We also have a 6 year old son with Autism who has received ABA ABBLs programming in school for 2,5 plus years. I am not an expert, but do have several years as an home trained parent and well read parent who utilizes mands, tacts, intervertebrals whenever I am with my son. He doesn't have intellectual or physical disabilities based on 20 plus hour neuropsychological exam from NIH in Maryland, USA. Diagnosis is Language Disorder with expressive language as the biggest hurdle to overcome. IQ is average and above in a few arees.

I was wondering in your personal opinion, if you know of or could recommend researching specific ABA groups, or schools utilizing ABA practices both in public and private school settings.

Thank you kindly,

M. Lancaster

[Lyra123]

Hi there,

It is such a relief to read these messages and know how so many assistants at Fedea had the same experiences - witnessing force feeding, teaching the children how to be 'normal', unnecessary physical restraint, unqualified 'teachers'... The school puts up a facade, it's all a front and the they don't allow the assistants to speak to the parents, as they don't want you to speak the truth!

The way the students are treated is so cruel, I would never want to send my children there.

I think this school should be shut down!

[TequilaSunrise39]

@JaeLee

It is interesting to see that other trainees had similar experiences. Yes, I agree that the pay is terrible and barely enough to live on. Especially considering the amount it costs to enrol students there and the fact that trainees teach, clean the whole school and conduct administrative tasks.

The main teachers were often unprofessional and selfish. They made no effort to forge bonds with new staff and would often pass student improvements off as their own when they had no involvement. They were unwelcoming and often provide false information to the parents about what their child had achieved that day.

I would not recommend working there or sending your children to FEDEA.

I totally agree with this. Not sure how long ago you worked there, but I was there a few years ago.
I really resented being told that my mopping or toilet cleaning wasn't good enough when I had applied for a job there to work with children, not to work as a cleaner.

It's unfair that trainees are not allowed to speak to parents and carers, I don't know what they were so afraid of ? It's wrong that the teachers attempted to pass off the trainees' work as their own, and sometimes talked about the trainees negatively in another language.

The cleaning timetable was unfair as some trainees didn't adhere to it and others were left to do their tasks. Having to prepare the following days' work by basically playing jenga with the boxes, constantly moving them around for no reason and having to fit them in far too small spaces was no fun.

There were also clear 'favourites' within the trainees.

Anyway, sorry to derail the thread.

The sporting opportunities are good for the children, the school offers a good variety, and I would say this is the only plus . I do believe there are better schools for children on the spectrum though and much better value for money.

[JaeLee]

It is interesting to see that other trainees had similar experiences. Yes, I agree that the pay is terrible and barely enough to live on. Especially considering the amount it costs to enrol students there and the fact that trainees teach, clean the whole school and conduct administrative tasks.

The main teachers were often unprofessional and selfish. They made no effort to forge bonds with new staff and would often pass student improvements off as their own when they had no involvement. They were unwelcoming and often provide false information to the parents about what their child had achieved that day.

I would not recommend working there or sending your children to FEDEA.

[senwarrior]

It's so encouraging to see other trainees' experiences being shared on this thread! It makes it plain to see this institution is inadequate to cater for learners' needs.

One thing I will comment on further is that, previously, they advertised the use of ABA (applied behavioural analysis) on their website, which has since been removed. I currently work in ABA and it drove me crazy that people would associate ABA with the inadequate practices of this place! There is a reason ABA still has a negative rep in some circles and it's because of places like this, that throw in the mention of the intervention to make themselves sound qualified in teaching children with autism. Good on them for removing it!

Since training in ABA, I look back on my experiences here and I cringe. So much potential that could have been achieved with the children, if only different methods had been used, if they had actually taken into account each learner's skills and tastes.

I hope prospective parents read this and reconsider sending their children to this inadequate school. They'd be much better off learning at home under the care of a BCBA and qualified ABA therapists.

[AnastarziaAnaqway]

Just found this, I also worked at FEDEA school.

I agree with what has been said above, children were force-fed (noses held, mouths forced open), dragged into the quiet room and left alone in the room in the dark.

I agree too that a lot of the materials are outdated, irrelevant and too easy or too difficult.

There are 3/4 'teachers' and several young 'assistants' under 30, of which I was one.

There is no minimum wage but they are paid well below the national average, working at a supermarket would earn you much more.

The assistants who do the work are not allowed to speak to the parents as mentioned, and the class teachers try to claim that it's them who have done the work of the assistants.

The fees are astonishing, and I feel like a lot of what they do is for show to the parents. I wouldn't send my children here, I think there are much better schools.

[ZayRose22]

I also worked as an Assistant at the school and can confirm that each year new staff are recruited and provided with no training to support the students. The lessons are often irrelevant to the students' needs and are very repetitive. Moreover the staff are not allowed to liaise with parents and are made to stay after work to clean the school on a daily basis.

The students are not encouraged to achieve their full potential and are often left to sit on their chairs unoccupied for large periods of time throughout the day.

[leonfestinger]

Hello! I’ve also created an account purely for this post. I worked in the school in the recently and I have family, friend and employment experiences in autism.

I couldn’t wait to leave my job there. It felt more like a training camp for children to remove genuine autistic behaviours. I didn’t agree with how the staff dealt with unwanted behaviours either. There was no opportunity for time out or proper break times. Occasionally behaviours were dealt with very loud shouting and slamming hands on tables by one of the teachers.

They have a high turnover of assistants in the school also. The school was sold as person centred and autism friendly but I didn’t see that at all.

I now work in an Autism secondary school and I’m treated excellently. I felt undermined and unsupported most of the time before. The children are understood, given flexibility and constant encouragement. It highlighted how negative FEDEA was, not good for any children with or without disabilities.

[Nininaninana]

Hi,

I also just created an account to share my experience on this school and say that this isn't a good place for your autistic kids.

I used to work there too, several years ago. At that time, I didn't know I was on the Spectrum too. With retrospect and the knowledge I have on the subject now, I can say that this type of education is harmless to my peers. There is nothing wrong with autistic people that we "have to change" but there are so many things wrong with our societies that want to change us to fit in...

Also, at the time I was working there..each kid had a "private teacher", but all of the "teachers", such as myself, were just trainees, with no education, nor background on the matter of autism. The lead rule was to teach them to be "normal"... trying to make an autistic kid to become "normal" is a form of abuse! There was literally no educated teacher there... only the headmaster who was more interested by helping her own kid on the spectrum...

It's been a year that I discovered that I am also on the spectrum and I am doing lots of researches since. The world lacks of understanding on how an autistic brain works (even more with us, women).. this is why neurotypical thinks that we, as autistic, must change.. but no! Neurotypical must learn to accept people with differences, and our societies must evolve to include all of us, and not only "neurotypicals"...

I am 38 now. I tried all my life to "change" and become "normal".. All I gained from this is, mental illnesses, such as depression, (with suicidal thoughts since I am 12), anxiety, addictions, insomnia, dermatillomania, boulimia, anorexia, alcoholism, and some more.. I've been abused all my life for my differences, so I learned to mask...Yes, I mastered the craft and no one can guess I am autistic based only on my behaviour, even professionals... But what is the price? Well, I cannot work, I have no social life, and I must relearn how to live by accepting myself. This is a real hard work... It took me more than 10 years to find out that the problem wasn't me... that my difference wasn't something bad
I was just different period. Now that I know I am autistic, becoming fully myself got waaayyy easier and all of my mental illnesses are disappearing on their own... for example stimming helps A LOT!

I cannot tell you which school is better and if there is one out there, the only advice I can give you, is to make your own research on the matter, by listening to other autistic people. You can find lots of videos online.

Here is one of them :

There are many more other autistic people out there that are trying to raise awareness.

I hope my testimony will help

[Cinov2013]

Hi everyone, i'm looking to enrol my son for next academic year in Fedea school in Switzerlan for autistic children, any feedback on this school please?I've read some good and bad reviews so i'm confused now, please help.
thank you

[senwarrior]

No idea what IQ tests they use, and regardless of that, if you have an early learner (no speech, no skills) how do you even assess him? How do you assign a number for his 'IQ'? I recently saw on their page that they claim to use ABA, but when I was there it was nothing like what I learned at a specialist ABA school in London. Maybe it's changed since I worked there, and I hope so because saying they use an intervention when in fact they don't, gives said intervention a bad name.

[OrzeiliHapiol]

Wonder how they guaratee increase of IQ

It's impossible to increase IQ. However all IQ tests have flaws. Many types of questions require cultural understanding that may be missing, or may be confusing to those unfamiliar with the format, such that children with autism might be more likely to score lower than their true IQ when first tested, and then get a better score with additional tuition. So IQ score then increases. Not the same as IQ increasing.

[Ledzepp]

Thank you very much. I really appreciate your response. Its very helpful. Wonder how they guaratee increase of IQ.

[senwarrior]

Hello there!

I made an account specifically to reply to this thread. I used to work in FEDEA a few years ago and since then I've trained in ABA, so I currently work with children with autism. Looking back, I would NOT recommend anyone send their kids to FEDEA. There are many areas in which they can improve and for the price (I don't know the exact number but I can imagine it's pricey), you're better off finding something else.

The skills they focus on are useless to the majority of students there (memorizing rote responses, working on too advanced skills for their level....all so they can say to the parents "Yes, we learned some French today" or "We did some maths". If they actually bothered assessing them on the skills that mattered (language, self care, etc) they could probably fine-tune their teaching methods.

Always check out the school yourself if you can.

[user1490869003]

Hi Ledzepp, I’m really interested too. Considering the 1 month program for my DS1 and there isn’t much information out there by way of reviews or testimonials.