Abstract:

One of the basic duties of countries is ensuring effective equal access to quality education for all learners, including those with special needs. Children with special needs are those whose physical characteristics and /or learning abilities differ from their peers. The education given to these children is called special education. Special education differs significantly from general education practices in terms of curriculum, method, technique, and adaptation of educational environments. This shows that researches on special education should be conducted more widely. In this research, it is aimed to examine the current situation of special education services in the province of Van as of the 2020-2021 academic year. The research carried out with the general screening model and the universe of the study consists of the special education services available in all institutions and organizations providing special education services in the province of Van. The data in the study were collected through the web pages of the relevant institutions and from the directors of the institutions. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive analysis and presented in tables. As a result of the research, it was determined that a total of 5819 students with special needs received education in different educational environments, most of whom were mainstreaming students in general education schools. Special education services for students with moderate and severe disabilities in the province of Van are carried out by 133 teachers, 68 of whom are special education teachers, in 119 classrooms in 9 special education schools at different education levels. As a result of the research, it was determined that more systematic planning was needed in the special education with the participation and cooperation of the relevant stakeholders, and suggestions were made for this aim.

Keywords: