The special training services in Turkey are carried out in special training schools established according to disability groups. Today special training services are provided for children and youth in five different disability groups, including blindness, deafness, orthopedic disabilities, mental retardation and long-term illnesses.
The objective of special training is to meet the educational needs of individuals who need special training, to integrate them into society and provide them with a vocation. The students who need special training are also provided with the opportunity of receiving education at the regular schools together with the students of their own age. An attempt is being made to spread this application which is called "combining".
There are 207 special training schools and 102 centers of guidance and research in Turkey for students who need to receive special training due to their physical, mental, emotional and social developmental disabilities or super abilities. In the 1998-1999 school year, A total of 32,540 students, of whom 10,946 were in combining education, benefitted from special training schools and institutions.
Preschool education is compulsory for children who are diagnosed as having a need for special training. An "Individual Training Plan" is prepared for each child and the children are trained according to the level of performance they can attain.
The participation of families are provided at every stage of the training of the individuals who need special training and special training support is given to students in combined education. Furthermore, job and vocational programs for adults who need special training are organized and it is attempted to continue the activities to make these programs widespread.