Understanding the problems experienced by individuals with special needs from the perspectives of their families and teachers: The example of Nimet Kamuran Korkmaz Special Education Practice School

Individuals with special needs are those who, due to various factors arising during prenatal, perinatal, or postnatal developmental stages, display differences in cognitive, language, motor, physical, social, and emotional development. These individuals require special education due to their specific needs. It has been determined that 12.3% of the population in Turkey consists of individuals with special needs. It is important to examine the experiences of individuals with special needs in social life, the challenges they face in educational processes, and the difficulties they encounter in social contexts from a multidimensional perspective, incorporating the views of their families and teachers. This study aims to make visible the challenges faced by individuals with special needs in social life by listening to the perspectives of both their families and special education teachers. Adopting an interpretive-constructivist approach, the research employs a qualitative method; data were collected and analyzed through in-depth interviews using semi-structured interview questions with 10 parents of students attending Nimet Kamuran Korkmaz Special Education Practice School and 10 teachers working at the same school. The findings of the study reveal that the barriers encountered by individuals with special needs create significant problems not only at the individual level but also at social and educational levels. Although individuals with special needs constitute an important part of the social structure, the challenges they face are largely shaped by societal structures and systemic inadequacies.