Educational Process of Families of Children with Special Needs from Diagnosis to Transition: Legal Regulations and Opinions on the Solution of Problems

Abstract

Working with individuals with special needs requires a systematic team effort. Families are among the most important members of this team in the education process of individuals with special needs. The active participation of the families of children with special needs (CSN) in all aspects of the special education process is indispensable for their children to succeed in academic and social fields.
However, studies on the awareness of their families about the legal rights of CSN are very limited. The aim of this study is to examine the opinions of the families of CSN about their rights in the education and training processes and the solutions of the problems they face. Qualitative research design was used in the research and the data were analyzed by content analysis method. The research data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The results of the research revealed that parents of CSN have limited knowledge about the legal rights of their children and encounter problems with special education services.