By: Mehmet Boran | Communications Associate
Special Education Offers New Hope for Children with Disabilities in Türkiye
Adana, Türkiye – Seven-year-old Ahmed* begins his school day with a smile — a small act that speaks volumes about the progress he and his family have made on their journey from hardship to hope.
His mother Zahra*, originally from Aleppo, Syria, lived a modest life with her family of farmers. But everything changed in 2014, when the war broke out and forced her to flee her home in search of safety, leaving behind loved ones, as well as the land and community that had shaped her life.
Settling in Türkiye was not easy. Ahmed and his two younger siblings grew up facing multiple challenges: financial strain, cultural differences, and instances of discrimination. Yet, Zahra remained determined and worked tirelessly to create a safe life for her children.
Just when things began to feel stable, Zahra was confronted with a new and overwhelming reality — all three of her children presented different types of disabilities.
“At first, everything seemed fine… My children were introverted,” she recalls. “But gradually, I learned that two of my children had autism, and the youngest had a speech impairment.”
Ahmed, the eldest, was diagnosed with an intellectual disability along with both speech and hearing impairments. “Ahmed was always irritable and avoided interactions. He would sit in the dark, refusing to speak or be near anyone. It took him a while to get used to the guests who would come to our home.”
The family spent countless hours in and out of hospitals. “It was an incredibly difficult period,” Zahra adds.
Zahra and Ahmed arrive at the centre for Ahmed’s weekly developmental support sessions. Here, children with disabilities have access to tailored education services. Photo: IOM 2025/Mehmet Boran
Zahra did everything in her power to access the health care and specialised education her children urgently needed before they could enrol in formal schooling. She feared that, without the right support, her children’s development would stall — or even regress. However, the cost of specialized services was far beyond her reach.
A turning point came when the Turkish Red Crescent referred her to the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) special education programme for children with disabilities. For the first time in a long while, Zahra felt a glimmer of hope. Through the programme, children in need of specialized developmental support receive individual and group-based education at a special education and rehabilitation centre. The goal: to strengthen their social, emotional and cognitive skills and facilitate their smooth transition into formal education.
“When my children started attending the special education classes, I began to notice many positive changes,” Zahra shares with visible relief. “Ahmed started communicating better with those around him, and his anger eased. He used to refuse to go outside; now he tries his best to socialise and connect with others. I see his confidence growing.”
After two years of dedicated support through the programme, Ahmed has now enrolled in the first grade at a public school – a milestone that reflects both his personal progress and the vital impact of inclusive education on children with special needs.
Six-year-old Muhammed faced similar challenges growing up. Like Ahmed, he lives with a speech impairment and developmental communication disorder. While other children his age played games and interacted with ease, Muhammed never joined. He only wanted to spend his time with his mother. “The problems began after he turned two,” recalls his mother Imen, who has lived in Türkiye for almost a decade after fleeing conflict in Aleppo. “He struggled to understand basic things. He was introverted, quiet and often angry.”
Imen’s husband, who had previously worked in the humanitarian sector, heard about IOM’s special education programme and applied for support. “My husband requested assistance for our son, and Muhammed has now been attending the programme for eight months,” Imen explains. “He visits the special education centre twice a week and attends the local public kindergarten on the other days.”
Expressing her satisfaction with the programme, Imen noted the significant improvements in her child’s development. “He has made new friends and enjoys participating in fun activities with other kids,” she says with a smile. “It is great for us parents to see the wide variety of activities that are organised for the children, such as picnics, swimming, motorbike riding, museum visits and zoo trips,” Imen adds. “Now, we can communicate much more effectively at home.”
Thanks to the specialised support he received, Muhammed’s transition to a standard school was made much smoother, opening new opportunities for learning, inclusion and growth.
Imen and Muhammed participate in game-based activities designed to develop communication skills. Photo: IOM 2025/Mehmet Boran
Ahmed and Muhammed are just two of the hundreds of children who have benefited from IOM’s special education programme across the southeastern provinces of Adana, Gaziantep, Kilis and Mersin. Since the programme began in March 2020, the special education and rehabilitation centres have provided over 40,500 individual and group sessions for children with disabilities. Each child received a personalized learning plan, developed by trained therapists, to meet their specific developmental needs. In 2024 alone, IOM supported 100 children, offering not only educational support, but also safe transportation, recreational activities and awareness-raising sessions for parents and caregivers.
“Our wide variety of activities — from game-based learning to interactive tools that develop communication and analytical skills — boosts children’s self-confidence and motivates them to engage more in their education,” explains Sitti Zeynep Aksu, IOM Türkiye’s Senior Project Associate for Disability Inclusion. “Thanks to this programme, both children and their families know that they are not alone.”
As the mother-son pairs leave the centre, their faces lit with pride and newfound confidence, Zahra and Imen speak of how far their children have come — how far they believe they can still go. Ahmed and Muhammed are forming new friendships, communicating more confidently and engaging actively in school life.
As the mothers dream of brighter futures for their boys — whether in Türkiye or back in their homeland one day — Ahmed and Muhammed are living proof that with inclusive support and unwavering love, every child, regardless of ability, can flourish.
Today, Ahmed and Muhammed are among 27 children in Adana and Gaziantep currently enrolled in IOM’s special education programme — made possible by the Republic of Korea and USA for IOM’s contributions to IOM’s Global Assistance Fund (GAF).
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*Name changed to protect privacy