Navigating Early Childhood Special Education: An Analysis of School Counselors’ Professional Development Needs
SOCIAL SCIENCES (BASILEA : SUIZA), vol.15, no.7, pp.439-464, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 15 Issue: 7
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.3390/socsci15070439
- Journal Name: SOCIAL SCIENCES (BASILEA : SUIZA)
- Journal Indexes: Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Social Science Premium Collection (ProQuest), Scopus, Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Index Islamicus, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Page Numbers: pp.439-464
- Anadolu University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
School counselors working in preschool special education institutions undertake multidimensional responsibilities involving support for children with developmental disabilities, family guidance, interdisciplinary collaboration, and participation in individualized education program (IEP) processes. Despite the complexity of these responsibilities, limited research has specifically examined the professional development needs of counselors employed in early childhood special education settings. This study aimed to determine the professional development needs of school counselors working in preschool special education institutions and to explore the professional challenges they experience in practice. The study was conducted using a qualitative research design. Participants consisted of 19 school counselors working in preschool special education institutions across different regions of Türkiye. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that school counselors experienced substantial professional development needs related to autism spectrum disorder, behavioral intervention strategies, family counseling, crisis intervention, interdisciplinary teamwork, assessment procedures, and individualized education planning. School counselors also emphasized inadequacies in preservice education and reported a strong need for applied, field-specific inservice training opportunities. Furthermore, role ambiguity, institutional limitations, and insufficient supervision emerged as significant factors negatively influencing professional competence perceptions. The findings suggest that counselor education curricula and professional development policies should be restructured to address the unique demands of preschool special education settings more effectively. This study contributes to the literatureby highlighting the necessity of specialized professional preparation for school counselors supporting young children with special needs and their families. Keywords: preschool special education; school counselors; professional development needs; early childhood intervention; special education counseling; interdisciplinary collaboration; family counseling; qualitative research