Determining the knowledge and experiences of school psychological counselors regarding the educational processes of children with special needs

Authors : Mehmet İnce

Pages : 2069-2096

Doi:10.48146/odusobiad.1718339

View : 72 | Download : 158

Publication Date : 2025-12-28

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The main objective of this study is to examine the experiences of psychological counsellors working in pre-school education institutions with children with special needs, identify the problems they encounter, and propose solutions to these problems. The research was designed according to the case study design of qualitative research methods. The study group consisted of nine psychological counsellors working in kindergartens affiliated with the Ministry of National Education. Semi-structured interviews and document review methods were used in the data collection process. The data obtained were analysed using content analysis methods. The findings were grouped under five main themes and presented with supporting figures. The research results showed that psychological counsellors experienced significant deficiencies in terms of theoretical knowledge and practical application skills when working with children with special needs. Participants stated that the special education courses they took during their undergraduate education were superficial and inadequate. They also stated that they lacked sufficient training in critical areas such as preparing individualised education programmes, early diagnosis processes, and intervention in problem behaviours. Participants mentioned that they faced difficulties such as role uncertainties, communication problems, and bureaucratic obstacles in their collaboration processes with families, classroom teachers, and Guidance and Research Centres. The tendency to shift teachers\\\' responsibilities onto psychological counsellors and the resistance of families in accepting the diagnosis process contribute to the complexity of the process. Participants stated that they participated in in-service training programmes, shared experiences with their colleagues, and maintained constant communication with stakeholders in order to overcome these difficulties. Psychological counsellors suggested recommendations such as strengthening undergraduate programmes, reducing the number of students per counsellor, and implementing legal regulations to facilitate collaboration in order to work more effectively with children with special needs.
Keywords : Psikolojik danışman, okul öncesi, özel gereksinimli çocuklar, durum çalışması, özel eğitim

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