Our department
Ankara University Faculty of Educational Sciences Department of Special Education was founded in Ankara University by Assoc. Prof. Mitat ENÇ, Prof. Yahya ÖZSOY, and Prof. Doğan ÇAĞLAR.
The Department of Special Education, which was established to educate the expert personnel needed in the field of special education, has trained many pioneer academicians and experts in the field. With a new regulation accepted in 1981, the department was transformed into a department affiliated with the Department of Psychological Services in Education. Later, with the decision of Turkey’s Council of Higher Education issued in 1995, the department started to serve with three majors: Education of the Intellectual Disabilities, Education of the Hearing Impairments and Education of Maladjusted Children. With a regulation made in 1997, the Departments of Education of the Disabilities and Maladjusted Children were closed, and the education process was carried out as the Department of Education of the Intellectual Disabilities. The Department of Special Education, which has been carrying out the Special Education Teaching undergraduate program since 2016, continues to contribute to the field by training teachers, experts and academicians with undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs since its establishment.
Faculty members of the Department of Special Education make significant contributions to the field with the numerous projects, books, articles, master’s and doctoral theses they produce. In addition, since 1992, Ankara University Faculty of Educational Sciences Journal of Special Education has been published with the contributions of department faculty members. Our journal, which is the first journal published in the field of special education, continues its publication life as an international peer reviewed journal. In addition, the Special Education Research and Implementation Center, which was established as a Special Education Unit in 1980 with the contributions of the faculty members of the Department of Special Education and has been serving as a center affiliated with the Rectorate of Ankara University since 2004, continues its education, guidance and consultancy services for children with special needs and their families. At the same time, undergraduate and graduate students of our department are provided with the opportunity to observe and practice at the center.
National Special Education Conference
National Special Education Conference has been traditionally held every year in the memory of Assoc. Prof. Mitat ENÇ*, who has been one of the pioneers of the development of the field of special education in Turkey. It was first organized in 1991 with the title of “Special Education Days” by the leadership of Prof. Yahya ÖZSOY. The conference offers a platform where developments and studies in the field of special education are shared. Previously, two National Special Education Conferences were held by our department as Ankara University Faculty of Educational Sciences Special Education Department. The 12th National Special Education Conference was held on 11-12 November 2002 with the main theme of “Approaches, Strategies and Methods.” The 19th National Special Education Conference, organized for the second time by our department, was held in Marmaris on 22-24 October 2009 with the main theme of “Early Childhood Special Education.”
Academicians, researchers and experts working in the field will attend the 34th National Special Education Congference with the main theme of “The Gap Between Research and Practice,” which will be held in Ankara in 2024 by the Special Education Department of Ankara University Faculty of Educational Sciences, where all stakeholders related to special education can share information. Participation of teachers, families, policy makers, non-governmental organizations, volunteers and students is expected.
*https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/159283