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.

Target Audience

• 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.