Hearing Impaired Children Education, Practice and Research Center

I am Professor Hasan Gürgür. I am a lecturer at Anadolu University, Faculty of Education, Department of Special Education. At the same time, I am the director of the Research Center for Education of Hearing Impaired Children (İÇEM). Our center was established in 1978 within Anadolu University with the support of experts from England. Since then, its main purpose has been providing quality education services to hearing-impaired children. For this purpose, İÇEM has been providing its services as the first and still the only institution in Turkey. Hearing-impaired children are of course the primary target group to be served. As a result of the official diagnosis of deafness and hearing loss, these children come to our center. Formal diagnosis procedures are carried out here too. We do not only focus on the children but also on their families in terms of family education. We offer our services with intensive family education, especially up to the age of 6. Afterwards, we continue the education at the level of kindergarten or pre-school, primary school and secondary school. One of our main target groups is the students of the Faculty of Education, along with the services we offer to children with hearing impairment and their families at Anadolu University. Therefore, students of the Special Education Department who are interested in the education of hearing-impaired students can make their choices and continue their teaching internships here in their last year. Therefore, at the end of the 4th year, they can graduate as teachers trained in the field of education for the hearing-impaired.
The current studies carried out within the body of İÇEM (Research Center for Education of Hearing Impaired Children) in terms of education, training and diagnosis, first of all, within the scope of the early screening program of the Ministry of Health, includes the detection of postnatal hearing loss in children. A detailed examination is carried out in order to detect the extent of the loss. In this sense, the audiology laboratories at İÇEM are advanced and well-equipped laboratories. If the child is diagnosed with a definite hearing loss after the examination, it is possible for the child to benefit from hearing aid technologies. In this regard, we prepare detailed reports to medical faculties and health institutions together with the experienced audiologist and psychologist team of İÇEM. Complete implant application surgery, which has become widespread especially in recent years, can be easily performed with the report obtained from here. Afterwards, as the İÇEM team, we support families and their children during the implant procedure, as well as in its programming and monitoring. If the child has a need for special education, families can apply to us from all over Turkey and even from abroad. Here, there is also the issue of determining and evaluating the performance level of that child, especially in terms of the efficiency of hearing aid technologies and the development of language communication skills. Then, if the family wants to benefit from İÇEM, we request them to settle in Eskişehir. If the parents are civil servants, they can request for relocation. Because, as I mentioned, İÇEM is the only qualified institution in this field in Turkey. Here, the child can benefit from formal education starting from the age of 3. With our experienced teacher group, it is possible for children from the age of 3 to receive education services from us within Anadolu University. The reason why our services here are qualified and of high quality is because of the support we receive from Anadolu University. With the end of secondary school education, the process of receiving education services at İÇEM for the child is completed. Of course, after graduation, the child can benefit from regular checks we provide in our center. Afterwards, if the child needs audiological re-evaluation or if there is a malfunction in the device, services are available in our laboratories. We have 2 audiology laboratories in total and if there is a malfunction in the hearing aid, we have specialists who can correct the malfunction. This is a full-day school. For this process, the students of the Faculty of Education come here at least 2 days a week and carry out their internships in the classrooms with our teachers. It is also possible for the courses to be planned, implemented and evaluated by the lecturers of our department within the Faculty of Education. Therefore, children, their families and our students from the Faculty of Education can benefit from the services at İÇEM. Of course, we are in constant cooperation with the Ministry of National Education (MEB). In this regard, it is possible for the Ministry of National Education to apply to us when needed, for the preparation of booklets and story books that children with hearing impairment can benefit from, and for the preparation of story books, and the training and development of teachers. Therefore, we can also offer services in teacher development. Of course, as faculty members, we also have some scientific research projects that we carry out within Anadolu University with the support of TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey). Here, we are carrying out projects both in order to assess the current situation and to spread these services throughout Turkey.
From the point of view of children with hearing impairment and their families, I need to point out that the services in our center are based on verbal approach, not on sign language. In this respect, we aim to raise children who can fully participate in society, be independent, communicate with people alone and sustain their lives. We also have a service in the field of teacher training. In this training process, candidate teachers transform the knowledge they receive into practice. In other words, we aim to graduate the teacher candidates we train here, and when they graduate and are appointed as teachers, they will start working directly in the classroom by gaining the necessary qualifications here. My suggestion to the candidates who will prefer Anadolu University is that they take Anadolu University into their 1st preference, because I can already say that both the student life and social life will be very good because Anadolu University is located in Eskişehir. I can also say that Anadolu University will lay a good foundation for their future careers, thanks to the importance it attaches to scientific studies and knowledge. I wish success to all candidates who will take the university exam. We look forward to seeing you at Anadolu University.