Special Education in Bern

Step-by-step guides and toolkits for families of children with disabilities in Bern, Switzerland.

Bern Guides

Bern Canton Special Education Blueprint

Complete guide to Bern's special education system: sonderpädagogische Unterstützung needs identification and assessment procedures, Individuelle Lernziele (ILZ) goals and differentiated learning, Gesamtschulischer Prozess (GP) meetings and planning coordination, integrative Schulungsmodelle (school integration) vs. Sonderschule options, Speziallehrperson and support services allocation, Schulpsychologe assessment and counseling, parent participation rights (Elternmitwirkung), cantonal assessment (Überprüfungsverfahren) procedures, appeals and Beschwerde processes specific to Bern, and German-English terminology glossary

General Resources

These guides work no matter where you live:

Autism IEP & Accommodation Toolkit

Complete toolkit with sensory accommodation banks, communication goal examples, social skills and executive function IEP objectives by autism level, meeting advocacy scripts for common school pushback ('too high-functioning for support'), and dispute templates for denied accommodations.

ADHD Advocacy & Accommodation Playbook

Complete playbook with accommodation menus by ADHD subtype, IEP goal banks for executive function and attention, 504 Plan vs IEP decision tree, meeting advocacy scripts for common school dismissal ('he doesn't have ADHD, he's just not trying'), and dispute templates for denied accommodations or failed evaluations.

Behavior Support & FBA/BIP Toolkit

Complete toolkit with parent-friendly FBA evaluation checklist, how to read and critique a BIP for function alignment, manifestation determination preparation guide, restraint and seclusion documentation templates, discipline rights by jurisdiction, and scripts for shifting school mindset from punishment to understanding function and building support.

Dyslexia Support & Reading Intervention Kit

Complete kit with intervention comparison chart (Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, Barton, Lindamood-Bell with evidence ratings), IEP goals specifying intervention methodology, accommodation banks, scripts for fighting 'not low enough to qualify' dismissal, and templates for building the case that your school's current program is failing your child.

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