OUR PROJECT "I'M SPECIAL" The Content/Story of the Project This project has been planned by our project team constituted at our school for a more efficient education and because of the fact that there aren't enough experts on special needs education in Turkey, and materials and resources are insufficient and very limited. Main reasons of the preparation of this project are those important points that special needs educators are very limited, there are problems at our school about materials and activities related to the field, our school has a socio-economically disadvantaged structure, and also that the students' families and teachers haven't got right and enough information about special education. The Goals of the Project It is aimed that the project is disseminated by various branches because we have teachers from various branches and also administrative personnel in our project team. We planned to organize some theoretical and practical seminars and training for the teachers working in special needs sub-classes at disadvantageous schools in Gaziosmanpasa County. The trainings and classroom activities being done together with our students are going to be exhibited on our website and at our school. So it is expected to support our students' emotional and academic development by giving feedback to both our teachers and the students' families. With the training abroad we are going to get the opportunity to interrogate the educational system in our country, and so we hope to improve ourselves on the aspects of materials, efficiency and profession. Target Group of the Project Execution The project is going to be executed first with five students from Education Center for the Children with Autism and ten students from Mild Intellectual Disability Class at our school and their families. Definition of Main Activities -Communication and sharing information on the internet and social media, -Revision of training methods and material in our country and correction of deficient methods and false knowledge, -Reaching all the families of the students having training at special needs departments in our country and raising their awareness on special education, -Exhibition of the products done by students with special needs on school panelboards and doing exemplary works for other schools in our county, -Giving seminars by our psychological counsellor and mental retardation teacher for the teachers working and eager to develop themselves in special needs education, -Organizing seminars for our teachers training students who study at both rehabilitation centers and special needs subclasses at our school. Methodology of the Project Execution The person who needs special training: They are the individuals who display, due to various reasons, meaningful differences about their characteristics and educational sufficiency. Incapability: The situation that a regular activity or structure for a person is blocked or limited due to some injuries or declinations. Retardation: The situation that due to incapability a person cannot play the crucial roles which must be realized in relation with the age, gender, social and cultural requirements in the life. Intensively and systematically teaching some skills, which regular children learn on their own, to the children with intellectual disabilities and needing special training is a crucial requirement. And the point that special training differs from general education is the arrangement. The content of general education is determined with a central program for the children having a general educational sufficiency; on the other hand, the content of a program in special education is determined by the children's needs. Result and Effects of the Project -Our special education students are going to have the possibility to study better and education. -Our teachers training the students with special needs are going to develop their knowledge, skills, capability and practice in the field. -The administrative personnel who work at schools including classes is going to increase their knowledge and have a stronger communication with the families. -The families having children at special needs subclasses are going to be supported psychologically and learn more about their children. -The psychological counsellors working at our school are going to be supported theoretically and practically, and so they are going to have more knowledge, skills and capability on special needs education. -The contact with the institution enabling the training will be permanent, so information change and development will be enabled. -We will have a more effective communication with the Counselling and Research Center and rehabilitation centers. Probable Long Term Benefits Teachers, psychological counsellors, students and their families of socio-economically insufficient schools in our county are going to have a change to progress academically and innovation process of the education in our country will continue.