Parenting Education for Children with Special Needs

This training is for professional development purposes, and the certificate obtained does not replace the MYK certificate in courses where the MYK certificate is mandatory.

• Parents of children with special needs (developmental, learning, behavioral, physical, or emotional differences)
• Parents of preschool, primary, and middle school children

General Purpose

• To help parents understand special needs correctly
• To help parents track their children's development realistically and supportively
• To strengthen family harmony and parental resilience
• To empower parents in accessing rights and support mechanisms

1. What is Special Needs? (Awareness and Acceptance)

• The concept of special needs

• Diagnosis, labeling, and stigma

• The individual pace of each child’s development

• The acceptance process: denial – guilt – grief – adjustment

• Parental emotional reactions

Goal: To help parents understand the situation in a correct and healthy framework

2. Development of Children with Special Needs

• Cognitive, social, emotional, and motor development

• Focusing on strengths

• Setting realistic expectations

• The harms of comparison

• The importance of small progress

Goal: Shifting perspective from “deficits” to “potential”

3. Parental Attitudes and Family Dynamics

• Balance between overprotection and independence

• Discipline, boundaries, and trust

• Sibling relationships

• Family role distribution

• Feelings of guilt and excessive responsibility

Goal: Developing a healthy parenting attitude

4. Communication and Behavior Management

• Effective communication methods with children

• Identifying needs behind behavior

• Supporting positive behaviors

• Dealing with challenging behaviors

• Structured approach instead of punishment

Goal: Acquiring skills that facilitate daily life

5. Education Process and School Collaboration

• Inclusive education

• What is an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)?

• Teacher-parent collaboration

• Educational support at home

• Setting expectations from school

Goal: Enabling parents to take an active and conscious role in the educational process

6. Social Life and Community Participation

• Peer relationships

• Challenges in social environments

• Dealing with stigma and discrimination

• Supporting children’s social skills

• Strengthening social acceptance

Goal: Ensuring the child and family stay connected to social life

7. Parental Psychological Resilience

• Parental burnout

• Feelings of loneliness and hopelessness

• Self-compassion

• Support systems (family, experts, groups)

• The “perfect parent” myth

Goal: Strengthening the parent first

8. Rights, Supports, and Resources

• Educational and health rights

• Guidance and support services

• Official institutions and application processes

• Civil society and solidarity networks

• When to seek expert support?

This training is open for corporate collaborations (for legal entities such as institutions/companies), and individual applications are not accepted. Depending on the corporate participant profile and needs, the training content can be re-planned. After mutual discussions, the scope and method of the training (in-person, online) are determined, and relevant processes are completed.