We talked to Ms Alberta Hildebrand, head of the step-by course programme of the Child and Autism Foundation. In the interview she told us more about the goals of the foundation and about their experiences with Neurofeedback in ASD.

Dear Ms Hildbrand, thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us. What exactly does the Child and Autism Foundation do?

The Child and Autism Foundation is a competence centre for children and adolescents with autism in Urdorf in the canton of Zurich. It was founded on the initiative of affected parents who set up a day special school for children with autism in 1975. Since then, the organisation has continued to develop and has established itself as a nationwide centre of excellence with a wide range of services for families where autism spectrum is an issue. In addition to a school home with a day special school, a boarding and driving service, a counselling centre and the early intervention area, we also run an aids shop and the step-by course programme.

We maintain a lively exchange with professionally related schools, counselling and specialist centres in Switzerland and abroad. In addition, we raise public awareness about autism. 

The Child and Autism Foundation employs around 100 people. It is a non-profit organisation and our work is financed by contributions from the federal government, cantons and municipalities, through counselling and courses for affected persons, families and institutions, as well as through donations.

You have already mentioned the step-by course programme, of which you are also the director. Who is the training programme aimed at and what is the goal of the programme?

The step-by course programme was founded by our foundation in 2004 and offers a wide range of further education, training and lectures on the autism spectrum. It is aimed at professionals from the fields of education, agogy, therapy, medicine and - depending on the course - also at parents and accompanying persons who live or work with people on the autism spectrum. The offer is very well received and we simply notice that the need for further training on the topic continues to grow. We therefore also offer individual training and courses for schools, institutions and other foundations, which are specifically tailored to their needs and topics. With this offer, we also want to pass on some of our many years of experience.

What is your experience with Neurofeedback?
 

Autism manifests itself differently depending on its severity and expression and can include various symptoms. These include withdrawal into a world of one's own thoughts, avoidance of contact with the environment, disturbances in speech and motor skills, low empathy for the emotions and needs of others, stereotypical movements and behaviours, and avoidance of physical contact. Neurofeedback can have an amazing effect in treating these accompanying symptoms of autism.
Autism cannot be cured causally, but can be treated therapeutically to the degree of severity. The treatment must be adapted to the individual patient as flexibly as the effects vary. Neurofeedback can therefore be one of the building blocks of a behavioural therapy treatment plan.

Parents whom I advise and support tell me that Neurofeedback helps their child in everyday life. For example, anxiety or anger can settle down, the child becomes calmer, calmer or can feel himself or herself better. The child, the teenager, but also the parents, can develop more self-confidence and self-esteem. It helps them to relax mentally so that they can concentrate better and interact more positively with their environment. 

Once a year you organise the so-called Autism Forum. What are the contents and goals and what is planned for this year?
 

Our Autism Forum provides a popular platform on the topic of autism. We facilitate networking and exchange for professionals, institutions, decision-makers, people working in the autism field and interested parties. The programme covers a wide range of current topics from early childhood to adulthood. We welcome nationally and internationally renowned experts as speakers. This year's forum will take place on 11 November 2022. The programme and invitation will soon be published on our website www.kind-autismus.ch.

Neuroscientist Dr. Ned Sahin was a keynote speaker at the 16th Autism Forum and said "I think I see the amazing hope that the right technology, the right neuroscience and the right humanistic approach can have for this set of potentially 70 million people". Do you think Neurofeedback can make a contribution here?
 

We think so. Of course, there is still a long way to go. Of course, we are still a long way from providing comprehensive services for families, but on the one hand, public interest in the autism spectrum is increasing and families are finding places to turn to. We are also working on building more competences and networks through our courses. On the other hand, there are more and more scientific findings and also new technological approaches that support children and young people and also positively support their environment.
All these developments are intertwined. We also see potential in Neurofeedback and I hope that Neurofeedback, as a component of various methods and approaches, can support many people affected in their everyday lives. 

Thank you for this interview!

Of course, you can learn highly effective Neurofeedback with us. But above all, it is our lecturers who make our courses so special. Reason for that is, you won’t learn Neurofeedback from trained sales personnel in one day with us, but from enthusiastic Neurofeedback practitioners. All of them are experts in their subject and have been working successfully with Neurofeedback in their own practice or clinic for years, with a lot of empathy and sensitivity. So we sat down with some of the lecturers on our team and simply asked them why they love teaching and what makes our courses so special. 

"You can somehow do Neurofeedback, or you can do it really well" 

When we enter the online meeting, Meike Wiedemann, Doris Engels and Horst Schneider are already in the middle of the conversation. Just yesterday, a very successful course in Switzerland came to an end and the three of them are having a lively exchange about it. The feedback from the participants was very good and Meike and Doris also enjoyed the course. We ask the three of them, representatives for the many others of our lecturers, why they actually like teaching so much. Meike doesn't ponder long and says: "With our courses we want to reach people who are in clinical work, people who do Neurofeedback all day. And we want them to do Neurofeedback well with our courses. Because you can do Neurofeedback somehow, or you can do it really well." Meike PhD, PD in Neurobiology & clinician in private practice says about herself that she was infected with the Neurofeedback virus more than 20 years ago. In the course of her scientific career she came across Neurofeedback, was fascinated by the effects, educated herself, attended courses worldwide, worked with all methods, landed at ILF Neurofeedback and finally stuck with it, "Simply because it is best".

With every sentence said Meike, Doris and Horst carried over the message of how great enthusiasm and passion everyone puts into teaching. "After our courses, we want our specialist colleagues to go out and be well prepared to practice. And simply, the more therapists work with Neurofeedback, the more people will have access to Neurofeedback. That's what drives us." says Doris, an occupational therapist, design therapist, and systemic therapist, as well as the owner of several practices.

"I understand what people are saying about your courses now."

The motivation is genuine. You can sense that in the interview and the participants in the courses also notice that. "We often get feedback that there is such a pleasant atmosphere in our courses. Afterwards people often say, “I understand what people are saying about your courses now”, Doris continues. When asked where this special atmosphere comes from, all three immediately agree: there is simply a friendly relationship among the team and the collaboration is characterized by mutual appreciation. Horst, who holds a degree in biology and a doctorate in neurophysiology, adds happily: "The harmony in the teaching teams radiates to course participants and simply creates a feel-good atmosphere. And, of course, we all bring professionalism and a lot of experience to the table. You just notice that." 

Neurofeedback expertise from various disciplines

The lecturers cover numerous disciplines from occupational therapy to psychotherapy, (pediatric and adolescent) medicine and psychiatry, (sports) psychology, neurobiology, neuropsychology and more - all are professionals with a healthcare, therapeutic and/or scientific background. Meike adds "Especially the different orientations and professions we have in the team makes the teaching so exciting and we complement each other perfectly." The diversity of teaching can also be seen in the wide range of courses offered. In addition to the basic course and symposium, there are numerous indication-specific courses in which guest lecturers also provide new, up-to-date, specialist input. Doris adds, "We are always up to date in the industry and informed about changes. In addition, we also benefit from this close exchange in our daily work. As part of this network, I can always develop myself as an experienced therapist."

The importance of self-awareness in Neurofeedback

The focus of each basic course is on self-experience with Neurofeedback. Especially through practical training and working in different roles should enable all participants of the course to quickly feel confident in using Neurofeedback.
"We know that our participants learn a lot in the few days of training. Because of self-awareness, the basic course is very intensive. But our participants leave the course feeling good about themselves, so they are ready for practice," says Meike. 
During the internship, participants are closely supervised - whether in face-to-face courses or online. The internship usually takes place in groups of two, closely supervised by the lecturers. Experiences and results are discussed in small groups in order to jointly work out the next steps for the following sessions.
In addition, there is of course always the possibility to set focal points in the courses and all participants can bring in their concerns, ranging from therapy of complex traumatization over ADHD up to Neurofeedback in the area of peak performance. It's also important to the instructors to keep an open mind and think outside the box. "We teach ILF Neurofeedback, but our roots are in other approaches as well. Therefore, we are always open to learn more about other Neurofeedback methods as well," says Horst Schneider.

Neurofeedback as a life theme

Finally, we asked what motivates the three of them to teach in addition to their daily practice. After all, courses that last several days mean additional work. Meike answers immediately: "Neurofeedback is my life theme. I am convinced that it is good and therefore I want to teach it properly and thus help it to spread. When I started back then, I had to gather so much. Of course I took courses, the ones that were available at the time (laughs), but I still had to train myself for years and go deeper and deeper so that I could use it in a meaningful way. Until I arrived in the USA at EEG Info and after that it was clear to me what I would like to build up and pass on here. Now I am convinced that you can learn Neurofeedback faster and better with our courses than in the way I had to do it". Doris associates with Meike Wiedemann's response: "When I started teaching, for sure I thought about how I would do it alongside my practice. But I felt comfortable right from the start and had a good induction here. Mistakes can be made. And I always had experienced colleagues by my side at the courses. As I said, it's teamwork. No one is left alone. And now I have quite a bit of experience. Everything I've learned I can now pass on - that's something nice!". "There's nothing to add to that" adds Horst, also with a smile on his face.

Our training team

By following this link, you will find an overview of some profiles of our lecturers, including those of Meike, Doris and Horst. All of them have passed the certification at EEG Info Europe and are constantly training according to our quality assurance. And we are happy to see our team grow! You can find more info on LinkedIn or here.

 
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