Foundations for Learning

What Foundations for Learning does

Foundations for Learning is a Swiss-registered non-profit foundation (Stiftung) established in 2009 by Sylvia Leck to provide English-language educational, therapeutic, and assessment services to international families in Switzerland. Operating from offices in Zürich (multiple locations including CASA and Hull's School), Zumikon, Basel, and Zug, with practitioner coverage extending to Geneva and Lausanne, the foundation delivers a multidisciplinary portfolio of services spanning academic tutoring and dyslexia support (using the Spell Read program), cognitive and autism assessments (using gold-standard tools ADOS-2 and ADI-R), Autism Spectrum Disorder services, counselling and psychological support, sensory integration training (TSMT and LongiKid), and speech and language therapy. Service delivery is multi-modal — offered at foundation offices, directly in schools, and in family homes, with multilingual capability across English, German, French, Dutch, Spanish, and Italian.

The foundation monetizes through fee-based professional services (individual therapy and assessments are quote-based), structured courses including a 10-module Teaching Assistant Course at CHF 2,500 and Summer Courses (CHF 565 for writing), and tax-deductible donations from current and alumni families. Its go-to-market relies on word-of-mouth referrals, established partnerships with 30+ international and local Swiss schools (including SIS Swiss International School), community events, and its website. The leadership team is led by CEO and Service Director Dr. Paul Decker (UK-trained Clinical Psychologist), with department heads managing each service vertical. As of 2025, the organization has supported over 600 students since founding and is celebrating its 15th anniversary, reflecting steady organic growth within a specialized niche.

Name

Foundations for Learning

Legal name

Stiftung für Lernen / Foundation for Learning

Website

https://foundationsforlearning.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Foundations for Learning is a Swiss non-profit foundation that delivers multidisciplinary educational, therapeutic, and assessment services — including speech therapy, autism diagnostics, counselling, and academic tutoring — to English-speaking children, international families, and schools across Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education and Therapeutic Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism-Specific Schools & Programs (EDAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Learning Disabilities & Dyslexia Schools & Programs (EDAKAAAB), Individualized Learning Plans & Differentiated Instruction Materials (IEP/IFSP-Aligned) (EDACAJAE), K–12 Instructional Design & Curriculum Development Services (EDAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Speech language therapy
• Psychological counselling
• Autism assessment services
• Sensory integration training

Headquarters

HQ city

Zumikon

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Therapeutic and Assessment Services: Fees for speech and language therapy, psychological counselling, autism assessment and support, sensory integration training, and academic assessments. Services delivered in English primarily, with some services also available in German, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Italian.
2. Teaching Assistant Course: 10-month professional development course for teaching assistants. One-time payment of CHF 2,500 or 9 monthly installments of CHF 290 each.
3. Summer Courses: Short intensive courses during summer break for academic skill development. Writing course at CHF 565 for 5 morning sessions.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from current families, alumni families, and community supporters to support operating budget, teacher education, tuition assistance, and facility improvements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Foundations for Learning is a non-profit foundation providing multidisciplinary educational, therapeutic, and assessment services for children and adolescents with learning, speech, language, behavioral, and developmental difficulties. Core offerings include academic tutoring, dyslexia support, autism assessment and Positive Behaviour Support, psychological counselling, speech and language therapy, sensory integration training, and professional development courses for educators.

Product overview

Foundations for Learning is a non-profit educational services foundation offering a multi-disciplinary portfolio of services for children and families across Switzerland. The core offerings span six service areas: Academic Services (tutoring, dyslexia support via Spell Read program, exam preparation), Assessment Services (cognitive, speech/language, autism and learning disorder assessments), Autism Spectrum Disorder Services (assessment, behaviour support, therapy), Counselling and Psychological Services, Sensory Integration Training (using TSMT and LongiKid), and Speech and Language Therapy. Complementing these are educational courses including a Teaching Assistant Certificate Course, Summer Writing and Investigating courses, and an Early Years Academic Language and Numeracy program. Services are delivered in-person and online across multiple Swiss locations (Zürich, Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, Zug) by qualified teachers, psychologists, behavioural analysts and speech therapists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Services Comprehensive academic support including reading and spelling intervention using the Spell Read program, literacy and numeracy tutoring, and exam preparation for IB, A-levels, APs, GCSEs, and entrance exams, delivered to school-age students.
• Assessment Services Multi-disciplinary assessment services using gold-standard tools (ADOS-2, ADI-R) for cognitive, speech and language, autism, and learning disorder (Dyslexia, Dyscalculia) evaluations, including exam accommodations assessments for IB, AP, Edexcel and Cambridge exams.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Services Comprehensive autism support including assessment, Positive Behaviour Support (PBS), individual and group therapy services, and consultation and training for families and schools.
• Counselling and Psychological Services Psychological support and counselling for children and adolescents covering themes such as low mood, worries, stress, relationship issues, bullying, and anger management, with parent/teacher consultation and workshops available.
• Sensory Integration Training Targeted Sensory Motor Training (TSMT) using the LongiKid assessment tool to help children process and respond to sensory input more effectively, improving self-regulation, coordination, and engagement in daily life.
• Speech and Language Therapy Speech and language therapy services for children aged 0-18 delivered by native English-speaking therapists, including individualised therapy programs, school screening services, and workshops, available in English, German, and Spanish.
• Teaching Assistant Course 2026-2027 A 10-module professional development course for teaching assistants working with children from Kindergarten to 11 years old, covering classroom observation, behavioural difficulties, reading support, autism awareness, and attention difficulties. Delivered one Saturday per month from September 2026 to June 2027.
• Summer Course – Writing The Writing Architecture Lab: a signature summer course for upper-secondary students (IB, AP, A-Level, Matura) focused on scaffolding, storytelling and style for academic writing. Includes modules on macro/micro logic, sentence diagramming, AI use, and voice development.
• Summer Course – Investigating The Investigative Claims Lab: a summer course linking maths and sciences through real-world health claims. Designed for students preparing for competitive university programs, covering biology, chemistry, physics and maths through investigative lectures.
• Academic Language and Basic Numeracy Early years program for children aged 4-9 to enhance academic language and early numeracy skills through individual sessions, small groups, or online lessons.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported over 600 students since founding in 2009
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ambitious about Autism: UK charity operating specialist autism schools (TreeHouse School, Ambitious College) and outreach services for children and young people with autism. Directly comparable as an autism-specific school and support-services model with multidisciplinary practitioners, just operating in the UK rather than Switzerland.
• The Place2Be: UK children's mental health charity providing counselling and therapeutic support directly within schools. Directly comparable to FFL's counselling and psychological services delivered in international and local Swiss schools, with a similar school-embedded delivery model.
• ICAN: UK children's communication charity supporting children with speech and language difficulties. Directly comparable to FFL's Speech and Language Therapy service line, with a similar mix of direct therapy, school-based screening, and professional training for educators.
• Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity: UK charity providing dyslexia assessment, tuition, and training using structured literacy programmes. Closely comparable to FFL's Spell Read-based dyslexia services and assessment offering, with similar multi-stakeholder model (families, schools, teachers).

Broad incumbents

• National Autistic Society: Large UK national charity for autism offering assessment, schools, services, and advocacy. Comparable as a broader incumbent in autism-specific services; overlaps with FFL's ASD services but operates at much greater scale and scope across the UK rather than a single country.

Regional players

• Dyslexie Schweiz: Swiss national dyslexia association supporting individuals with dyslexia and related learning difficulties across Switzerland. Directly comparable to FFL's dyslexia assessment and Spell Read literacy intervention services within the same Swiss market.
• Autisme Suisse: Swiss national autism association providing advocacy, information, and support services across Switzerland. Comparable regional peer to FFL's autism assessment and ASD services within the same Swiss geography, though focused more on advocacy than clinical service delivery.

Others

• Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists: UK professional body for speech and language therapists, supporting standards, training, and the SLT workforce. Comparable as a thematically adjacent organization rather than a competitor, but relevant to the SLT talent pipeline and service standards FFL relies on for its speech therapy practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foundations-for-learning

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Foundations for Learning