Provision of Special Education Needs within the Scope of General Education

Description of Target Group(s)

Individuals in need of special education are individuals who differ significantly from their peers in terms of their individual and developmental characteristics and educational competencies. According to the Special Education Services Regulation;

• Individual with severe intellectual disability: An individual who needs lifelong intensive special education and support education services, including teaching self-care skills, due to deficiencies in intellectual functions and conceptual, social and practical adaptation skills,
• Individual with physical disability: An individual who needs special education and support education services due to disorders in the musculoskeletal and nervous systems,
• Individual with very severe intellectual disability: An individual in need of lifelong care and supervision who cannot acquire self-care, daily living and basic academic skills in addition to intellectual disability.
• Individual with visual impairment: An individual who needs special education and support education services due to partial or total loss of vision,
• Individual with mild autism: An individual who needs special education and support education services due to mild limitations in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, interests and activities,
• Individual with mild intellectual disability: An individual who has a limited need for special education and support education services due to mild deficiency in mental functions and conceptual, social and practical adaptation skills,
• Individual with hearing impairment: An individual who needs special education and support education services due to partial or complete loss of hearing sensit,
• Individual with moderate autism: An individual who needs special education and supportive education services intensively due to limitations in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, interests and activities,
• Individual with moderate intellectual disability: An individual who needs special education and supportive education services intensively in the acquisition of basic academic, daily life and work skills due to limitations in mental functions and conceptual, social and practical adaptation skills,
• Gifted individual: An individual who learns faster than his/her peers, is ahead in creativity, art and leadership capacities, has special academic ability, can understand abstract ideas, likes to act independently in his/her fields of interest and performs at a high level.

Gifted individual: An individual who learns faster than his/her peers, is ahead in creativity, art and leadership capacities, has special academic ability, can understand abstract ideas, likes to act independently in his/her fields of interest and performs at a high level.

Special Support Measures

According to the type of disability, educational performance and needs of students who continue their education through inclusion/integration practices necessary measures are taken and arrangements are made for the purpose of providing educational tools and materials, teaching methods and techniques, and for assessment and evaluation. In schools and institutions, individuals who will receive education through inclusion/integration are distributed equally, with a maximum of two individuals per class. In schools and institutions where inclusive/integrative education practices are carried out physical, social and psychological environment arrangements are made in accordance with the student’s disability.

Support Education Room: In schools and institutions, a support education room is built up for special education support by providing special tools and educational materials for students with special educational needs and gifted students who continue their education in the same class with their peers without disabilities.Support Education Room: In schools and institutions, a support education room is built up for special education support by providing special tools and educational materials for students with special educational needs and gifted students who continue their education in the same class with their peers without disabilities.

Special Education Classes: According to the Special Education Services Regulation, special education classes can be opened with the approval of the Governorate in line with the proposal of the provincial or district special education services board. Within the scope of the same regulation; special education classes that implement the education program of the school or institution where it is located can be opened. These classes can be attended by individuals of compulsory education age who are able to follow the pre-primary education program and the programs of primary education institutions. According to Article 28 of the same regulation, special education classes implementing an education program different from the education program of the school or institution where it is located can be opened in pre- primary, elementary, secondary and vocational secondary education institutions. These classes can be attended by individuals of compulsory education age who are unable to follow primary, general or vocational secondary education programs.

Special Education Schools and Institutions: Formal and non-formal special education schools and institutions of all types and levels are opened by the Ministry for individuals with special education needs. Students who are 69, 70 and 71 months old as of the end of September of the year of enrollment, with the written request of their parents; those who have completed 71 months and have not turned 79 months old, with the written request of their parents and in accordance with the Special Education Evaluation Board Report, students who are evaluated to be not ready to start primary school are provided to continue pre-primary education for 1 more year. In this period, it is essential that they continue their education primarily in pre-primary education institutions in the same class as their peers without disabilities, within the scope of mainstreaming/integration education practices, or in special education kindergarten classes. However, special education kindergartens can be opened for children who are unable to continue their education through mainstreaming/integration and for those over 36 months of age and have not turned 66 months of age, as well as special education kindergartens within special education schools, independent kindergartens and other primary schools that provide primary school education for these children.

Primary education institutions for individuals with special education needs

It is essential that students with hearing, visual, physical and mild mental disabilities continue their primary education primarily in schools where their typically developing peers attend within the scope of mainstreaming/integration education practices, in addition day and/or boarding primary and secondary schools are opened by the Ministry for individuals with hearing, visual and physical disabilities.

Within the scope of the Regulation on Special Education Services, daytime special education practice schools are opened by the Ministry in order for individuals with moderate or severe mental disabilities and individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who are unable to follow the programs implemented in primary education institutions to continue their education at this level. In these schools, students with moderate or severe intellectual disabilities and students with autism continue their education in separate classes in the same building created according to the type of disability. The first 4 years (grades 1, 2, 3 and 4) in special education practice schools are provided as Tier I and the second 4 years (grades 5, 6, 7 and 8) are provided as Tier II.

With the special education practice school curricula implemented in these schools, students’ adaptation skills are strengthened through courses such as independent living, nutrition, health and safety, and communication skills in addition to academic courses.

Secondary education institutions opened for individuals with special education needs

It is essential that students with hearing, visual, physical and mild mental disabilities continue their secondary education primarily through mainstreaming/integration, the Ministry also opens day and/or boarding special education vocational high schools for individuals with hearing and physical disabilities providing them with education and training services.

In order to provide vocational knowledge and skills to students with mild intellectual disabilities, hearing impairment and visual impairment who have completed their primary education but unable to attend general, vocational and technical secondary education programs, the Ministry opens daytime special education vocational schools to enable these individuals to continue their four-year compulsory education at the secondary education level. In special education vocational schools, opened for students with mild intellectual disabilities, vocational training is provided in 20 occupational fields and 31 branches.

For students with moderate or severe intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder who cannot attend general, vocational and technical secondary education programs, the Ministry opens daytime special education practice schools (tier III). Students who complete the special education program at special education practice schools (tier II) continue their education at tier III (9,10,11,12) at special education practice schools (tier III). Within the scope of special education practice school curricula (tier III), along with academic, independent living, nutrition, health and safety, communication skills courses, courses that will help the student develop and improve practical skills are also taught.

Institutions opened for the education of gifted individuals

Science and Art Centers (BİLSEM) are opened in order to ensure that gifted students of primary and secondary education age become aware of their individual talents, develop their capacities and use them at the highest level. Education and training activities in the institution are planned and carried out in a way to support the programs in the formal education institutions that students attend. Students are provided with high-level thinking skills to develop and support their areas of talent. It is to acquire learning outcomes for high-level thinking skills.

Education Services in Hospitals: Hospital classes are established within hospitals upon the recommendation of the provincial or district special education services board and with the approval of the Ministry of Health and the Governor. These classes aim to ensure the continuation of compulsory education for individuals of pre-primary, primary, secondary, and high school age who are unable to attend formal education institutions due to health problems and are receiving inpatient treatment in healthcare facilities.

Home Education Services: For individuals of pre-primary, primary, secondary, and high school age who certify with a Health Board Report that they are unable to attend formal education institutions for at least twelve weeks due to health problems, a decision regarding home education services is made by the Provincial/ District Special Education Services Board in line with the Special Education Evaluation Board Report.

Special Education Services in Other Institutions: GRCs provide educational assessment, diagnosis, monitoring, and guidance services for individuals with special education needs, recommend the least restrictive educational environment for the individual, and offer support education, guidance, and psychological counseling services to the individual and their family. Public and private pre-primary, primary and secondary education institutions, as well as non-formal education institutions, are obliged to provide special education services to individuals in need. Special education services are carried out in cooperation with CRCs, provincial/district directorates of national education, and special education schools.

Purpose of Education Services Provided in Special Education Schools

For the individuals with special education needs:

• To exercise their right to receive general and vocational education in line with their interests, desires, qualifications, and abilities;
• To grow into productive individuals who fulfill their roles in society, establish positive relationships with others, work cooperatively, and adapt to their environment;
• To reduce behavioral problems in individuals with mental, physical, auditory, and visual impairments, as well as social, emotional, language, and speech difficulties; to develop self-care, independent living, and functional academic skills; and to become self-sufficient and able to adapt to society,

• To ensure they are prepared for higher education, employment and vocational fields as well as life through the use of appropriate educational programs, tools, equipment, special methods and by trained personnel.

  The purpose of special education schools and special education and rehabilitation centers opened under the Law on Private Education Institutions;

• To prepare individuals with special education needs for life in line with their interests, needs, abilities and competencies by using special methods, personnel, tools and equipment with support education programs determined by the Ministry.
• To bring up the individuals with special education needs as productive individuals who can fulfill their roles in society, establish good relationships with others, work in cooperation and adapt to their environment,
• To maximize the existing talents of individuals with special education needs and to ensure their full participation in society, to develop basic self-care skills, independent living and vocational skills.
• Within the scope of the Law on Special Education Institutions, a modular approach has been adopted for individuals in need of special education, based on their educational assessment and diagnosis. This approach is implemented in special education schools and special education and rehabilitation centers affiliated with the Ministry. The programs prepared for seven disability groups consisting of the following components: Module, Section, Objective, Target Behavior, and Explanations. Decision No. 10 of the Board of Education outlines the module and the duration of the support education programs in detail.
• According to the Law on Special Education Institutions, the purpose of special education and rehabilitation centers is to support individuals in need of special education in fulfilling their roles in society.
• In accordance with Decree Law No. 652 on Institutions Providing Private Accommodation Services and Certain Regulations, the Ministry covers the educational expenses of individuals who are deemed eligible to receive support education in special education schools and special education and rehabilitation centers, following their educational evaluation and diagnosis.
• In 2024, in line with the Communiqué issued by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance (MoF), the portion of support education costs to be covered from the budget for individuals in need of special education in institutions established under the Law on Private Education Institutions was determined as 4,692 TL per month for individual education and 1,314 TL per month for group education, excluding Value Added Tax (VAT).
• In 2024, a total of 35,418,535,979.05 TL was paid to special education and rehabilitation centers for the support education provided to individuals with special education needs. Information regarding 2024 special education payments is provided in the table below.

Table: Special Education Subsidies for 2024

Source: MoNE 2024 Administrative Activity Report

Within the scope of physical access to schools, physical arrangements are made in schools and institutions within the framework of the Regulation on Accessibility Monitoring and Supervision for students with special education needs.