Special Educational Needs Referral
An encrypted special educational needs (SEN / IF - integrative Foerderung) referral form for Swiss schools — child and school details, current learning challenges, prior assessments, learning strengths, parental observations, and parental consent for evaluation. Compliant with Swiss cantonal special education law and ZGB.
A referral is a request for someone else to look. What makes one useful is not the strength of the teacher's hypothesis but the quality of the observations underneath it — what was seen, how often, in which settings, and what has already been tried. A referral that leads with a suspected diagnosis and thin evidence tends to come back for more information; one built the other way round does not.
What makes a referral usable
- Specific, concrete descriptions of learning challenges — not just 'struggles with reading' but what specifically the child cannot yet do and in which contexts
- A record of what has already been tried — differentiated teaching, in-class support, parental involvement
- Recognition of strengths — every referral should include what the child does well, to ensure the assessment is balanced
- Parent voice — the parents know the child in contexts the school does not; their observations are clinically relevant
- Consent — clearly documented parental consent to the evaluation, with the parent's signature
A well-completed referral form is the starting point for this process. It ensures the school psychology service has a full picture of the child's needs, the school's observations, the interventions already tried, and the family's perspective — before any assessment meeting takes place. It also creates a documented record that the parents were consulted and consented to the evaluation, which is a legal requirement in most cantons.
What the form collects
- Child details — name, date of birth, class and year
- School name and referring teacher
- Current learning and behavioural challenges
- Areas of the curriculum most affected
- Prior assessments, reports or interventions
- Learning strengths and positive traits
- Parent or guardian observations from home
- Relevant family or social context (optional)
- Parental consent for formal evaluation
- Parent or guardian signature
SEN referral, parental rights and Swiss law
In Switzerland, special educational measures (sonderpaedagogische Massnahmen) are governed by cantonal law under the framework of the Swiss HarmoS Concordat and the Federal Constitution (Art. 62 BV). Parents have the right to be informed, consulted, and to consent before a formal evaluation is initiated. Under ZGB Art. 296, both parents who share parental authority must be informed. All information shared in this referral is sensitive personal data under the nFADP and must be encrypted and access-controlled.
Parents are not informed afterwards
Swiss cantonal education laws consistently provide that parents must be informed and consulted before any formal special educational measure is initiated. Most cantons require written parental consent before a referral to the school psychology service. Under ZGB Art. 296, where parents share parental authority, both parents should ideally be informed and agree to the referral. This form provides the consent and signature mechanism required to create a legally documented record of parental agreement.
The SEN process in Swiss schools
In Switzerland, the process of identifying and supporting children with special educational needs is governed by each canton under the national HarmoS framework. Most cantons operate a stepped support model: class teacher adaptations first, then internal school support (Foerderunterricht / appui), then a formal referral to the school psychology service for assessment and the possible introduction of integrative Foerderung (IF) or separation into a specialist setting.
Making a referral
Use this template
Copy it into your dashboard — the observation, prior-measures and parental-signature sections are already structured.
Complete the referral collaboratively
The class teacher and support coordinator should complete the school sections. Then share the link with the parents to add their observations and give consent.
Submit to the school psychology service
Once signed, the completed form is forwarded to the school psychological service (Schulpsychologischer Dienst / SPD) for review and scheduling.
Questions schools ask
Does a parent have to sign a SEN referral form?
In most Swiss cantons, yes. Before a formal referral to the school psychology service, written parental consent is required. The exact requirement varies by canton, but documenting the parents' informed agreement to the evaluation is both legally required and best practice.
Is SEN referral data encrypted?
Yes. All data submitted through this form — including observations about the child's learning difficulties and family context — is sensitive personal data under the nFADP and is encrypted end-to-end from submission. Only authorised school and psychology service staff can access it.
What happens after the referral is submitted?
The referral is reviewed by the school psychology service (SPD), which schedules an assessment meeting with the parents, the class teacher, and where appropriate, the child. The assessment informs a recommendation for support measures. Parents receive a copy of the assessment report and must consent to any recommended measures before they are implemented.
For more context, see our education use-case page and our guide to special educational needs procedures under Swiss cantonal law.