Car De Schakel

What Car De Schakel does

Car De Schakel is a Centrum voor Ambulante Revalidatie (Centre for Outpatient Rehabilitation) based in Wetteren, Belgium, that has operated for more than 50 years under the umbrella non-profit Ascendere vzw (enterprise number 0409.470.553, RPR Gent). The centre provides multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment and therapy for (pre-school) toddlers, preschoolers, children and young people with developmental difficulties — including ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, behavioural problems, learning disorders, motor disorders, language disorders, intellectual disability, non-congenital brain injury (NAH) and cerebral palsy (CP). The diagnostic pipeline spans an intake with a social worker, multidisciplinary testing across language, behaviour, emotion regulation, school skills, cognition and motor domains, optional school/home/daycare observation and parent/teacher questionnaires, resulting in a multidisciplinary report.

The core technology is a scientifically grounded, ICF-framework-based (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) multidisciplinary methodology that integrates speech therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, physiotherapy/kinesitherapy and medical evaluation. Therapy composition is tailored to each child's care question, delivered individually or in groups, with parent involvement through session observation, regular conversations and back-and-forth notebooks, and continuous evaluation. Recognised by the Vlaams Agentschap voor Personen met een Handicap (VAPH, R/192) and operating under an agreement with the Vlaams Agentschap voor Zorg en Gezondheid (VAZG, 9.53.608.96), the centre is publicly funded via the family's zorgkas (healthcare fund), with families paying €2.24 per service type (€0 under preferential insurance). The standard service area is the broader Wetteren region for children up to age 8, while children with NAH or CP are accepted on a Belgium-wide basis with no age cap. The centre operates from a single ambulatory site at Hoenderstraat 51, Wetteren, co-located with CLB Wetteren, and runs within the Ascendere network alongside sister CARs Klim Op, De Springplank and De Locomotief.

Name

Car De Schakel

Legal name

Ascendere vzw

Website

https://cardeschakel.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Car De Schakel is a Flemish publicly funded Centre for Outpatient Rehabilitation in Wetteren, Belgium, operating under the Ascendere vzw non-profit, that delivers multidisciplinary diagnostics and therapy to toddlers, children and young people with developmental difficulties such as ADHD, autism, learning, motor and language disorders, NAH and CP.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Pediatric Rehabilitation & Developmental Therapy Centers (PT/OT/SLP) (HLAFAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pediatric Physical Therapy & Developmental Rehab (HSADAIAE), Transition & School-Readiness Support for Special Needs Children (HSAAAIAO)

Keywords

• Pediatric rehabilitation services
• Multidisciplinary diagnostics
• Developmental therapy children
• Ambulatory revalidation
• Child disability care

Headquarters

HQ city

Wetteren

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Publicly funded revalidation services via zorgkas (healthcare fund): Both diagnostics and therapy are submitted to the family's zorgkas (healthcare fund), which reimburses most of the cost. Parents pay a personal contribution of €2.24 per type of service; families benefiting from the preferential healthcare insurance arrangement pay no personal contribution. Service duration is determined by agreement with the Departement Zorg and is regularly evaluated, typically starting for at least one year with 30 minutes to 3 hours per day, several times a week.
2. Government/VAPH and VAZG contracted funding: CAR De Schakel operates under a contract with the Vlaams Agentschap voor Zorg en Gezondheid (VAZG, identification 9.53.608.96) and recognition by the Vlaams Agentschap voor Personen met een Handicap (VAPH, R/192), as part of Ascendere vzw (ON 0409.470.553). Operating subsidies and contractual agreements with these public agencies fund the revalidation operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CAR De Schakel is a publicly funded Center for Ambulatory Rehabilitation (Centrum voor Ambulante Revalidatie) in Wetteren, Belgium, that delivers multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment and therapy for (pre-school) toddlers, kindergarteners, children, and young people with developmental difficulties. Services are organized around an ICF-based methodology and include specialized programs for ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, complex developmental disorders, early intervention, intellectual disability, behavioral disorders, non-congenital brain injury (NAH), cerebral palsy (CP), tic disorders, and suspected-diagnosis therapy, complemented by seasonal holiday therapy programs.

Product overview

Car De Schakel (CAR De Schakel) is a Center for Ambulatory Rehabilitation (Centrum voor Ambulante Revalidatie) in Wetteren, Belgium, offering a unified portfolio of multidisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic services for (pre-school) toddlers, kindergarteners, children, and young people with developmental difficulties. The offering is built around two core services — Multidisciplinary Diagnostic Assessment (Multidisciplinair onderzoek) and Multidisciplinary Therapy (Multidisciplinaire therapie) — which serve as the platform foundation upon which a set of specialized treatment programs are layered, including the ADHD Program, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASS) Program, Complex Developmental Disorder Program, Early Intervention (Vroegbegeleiding), Intellectual Disability Program, Behavioral Disorder Program, Non-Congenital Brain Injury (NAH) Program, Cerebral Palsy (CP) Program, Tic Disorder Program, and Suspected Diagnosis (Vermoedensdiagnose) Therapy. These specialized programs are supplemented by seasonal Holiday Therapy Programs & Camps (circus, space, nature, baking, cycling, MultiMove, library visits). The center is recognized by VAPH and operates under an agreement with VAZG, and is part of the Ascendere vzw umbrella organization alongside sister CARs Klim Op, De Springplank, and De Locomotief.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Therapy starts for at least one year; 30 minutes to 3 hours per day, usually several times a week.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / parent organisation, core / regulatory counterpart, core / co-located partner, core community partner, seasonal / thematic partner, sister car (sibling centre) and minor / service provider.

• Ascendere vzwflagship / parent organisationStrategic or Co-development PartnerAscendere vzw (Melkerij 25, 9900 Eeklo; ON 0409.470.553, RPR Gent) is the umbrella non-profit organisation under which CAR De Schakel operates. It also operates sister CARs such as CAR Klim Op, CAR De Springplank and CAR De Locomotief. The Ascendere website (www.ascendere.be) hosts job vacancies for the various CARs and processes requests for printed info brochures.
• Vlaams Agentschap voor Personen met een Handicap (VAPH)core / regulatory counterpartOthersCAR De Schakel is officially recognised by the VAPH (identification R/192) as a Centrum voor Ambulante Revalidatie providing publicly funded revalidation services. The recognition underpins the centre's right to operate and to receive public funding for its services.
• Vlaams Agentschap voor Zorg en Gezondheid (VAZG)core / regulatory counterpartOthersCAR De Schakel has an overeenkomst (contractual agreement) with VAZG (identification 9.53.608.96) which governs the duration and conditions of therapy and enables publicly funded ambulatory revalidation.
• CLB Wetteren (Centrum voor Leerlingenbegeleiding)core / co-located partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLB Wetteren shares a joint entrance gate with CAR De Schakel at Hoenderstraat 51, 9230 Wetteren (the CAR building is at the back of the shared parking lot). The two organisations collaborate in the multidisciplinary care of children: with parental consent the CAR sends its multidisciplinary report to the CLB. CLB staff can also act as first-line referrers.
• Bibliotheek Wetteren (Markt 27, Wetteren)core community partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal library used as venue for the summer 'Op reis in een boek' (reizen in een boek) project: pre-reading sessions, 'bestemming BIB' reading motivation action, search-toy-tour through the library, themed tables per reading level, knutsel activity and an NT2/leespunt tour for multilingual parents. The library is also highlighted in 'Project zomerboek' as the nearest place to borrow free books.
• Kinderboerderij Wetteren (Willy and family)seasonal / thematic partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal petting farm (Willy and family) that hosted the centre's 'natuur' theme week during the summer, allowing children to pet and feed animals, play on the property and taste homemade farm ice cream.
• Brandweer Wetteren (Wetteren Fire Department)seasonal / thematic partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal fire department visited during the summer 'reis door de ruimte' (space travel) theme camp and assisted with a 'planet on fire' scenario activity.
• CAR Klim Opsister car (sibling centre)Strategic or Co-development PartnerSister Centrum voor Ambulante Revalidatie within the Ascendere umbrella (www.carklimop.be). Listed together with CAR De Schakel, CAR De Springplank and CAR De Locomotief in the Ascendere network.
• CAR De Springplanksister car (sibling centre)Strategic or Co-development PartnerSister Centrum voor Ambulante Revalidatie within the Ascendere umbrella (www.carspringplank.be). Listed together with CAR De Schakel, CAR Klim Op and CAR De Locomotief in the Ascendere network.
• CAR De Locomotiefsister car (sibling centre)Strategic or Co-development PartnerSister Centrum voor Ambulante Revalidatie within the Ascendere umbrella (www.carlocomotief.be). Listed together with CAR De Schakel, CAR Klim Op and CAR De Springplank in the Ascendere network.
• Chris de La Marche (marschie.com)minor / service providerOthersPhotographer credited on the CAR De Schakel website (Fotografie: Chris de La Marche, www.marschie.com). Provides photography for the centre's online and printed materials.
• Pjotr (pjotr.be)minor / service providerOthersDesigner of CAR De Schakel's huisstijl (house style) and visual identity (Huisstijl: Pjotr, www.pjotr.be).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Koninklijke Kentalis: Dutch care and education organisation supporting people with hearing, communication and developmental disabilities; comparable multidisciplinary diagnostic/therapy services at larger scale and geographic breadth.
• 's Heeren Loo: Large Dutch care provider for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; comparable multidisciplinary expertise in developmental disorders at much broader national scale.
• Centra voor Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg (CGG): Flemish publicly funded mental-health centres providing broader psychosocial care for children, youth and families; adjacent to CAR De Schakel's psychology and behavioural programs and a frequent referral partner.

Emerging players

• Centra voor Ontwikkelingsstoornissen (COS): Network of Flemish centres specialised in assessment of autism spectrum disorder and related developmental disorders; partial overlap with CAR De Schakel's diagnostic role, often acting as a referrer rather than a therapy provider.

Direct peers

• CAR De Springplank: Sister CAR under Ascendere vzw offering VAPH/VAZG-funded ambulatory rehabilitation for children with developmental difficulties; structurally identical operating model to CAR De Schakel and a direct counterpart in the Ascendere network.
• CAR De Okapi: Flemish CAR providing ambulatory multidisciplinary revalidation for children with developmental difficulties under the same VAPH recognition and VAZG convention regime; comparable operating model and target population to CAR De Schakel.
• CAR Klim Op: Sister Centrum voor Ambulante Revalidatie under the same Ascendere vzw umbrella as CAR De Schakel; offers the same multidisciplinary diagnostics and therapy for children with developmental difficulties and competes for the same VAZG/VAPH-funded referrals in its own catchment.
• CAR Sint-Lievenspoort: Long-established Flemish Centrum voor Ambulante Revalidatie in the Ghent area delivering multidisciplinary diagnostics and therapy for children with developmental disorders under the same VAPH/VAZG framework; competes for VAZG-funded referrals in overlapping East-Flanders territory.
• CAR De Locomotief: Sister CAR under Ascendere vzw providing ambulatory multidisciplinary diagnostics and therapy for children with developmental difficulties; identical regulatory and funding model to CAR De Schakel.

Others

• Centra voor Leerlingenbegeleiding (CLB): Government-funded school-based guidance centres that screen and refer children with developmental concerns; CLB Wetteren physically co-located with CAR De Schakel and acts as a key upstream referrer rather than a competitor for therapy services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cardeschakel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/car-de-schakel

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Car De Schakel