Being a Parent of a Syrian Migrant Child with Special Needs Living in a Temporary Accommodation Centre

Abstract

This study examines the experiences of being a parent to a child with special needs for eight Syrian migrant parents living in Temporary Accommodation Centres established in Türkiye to meet the basic needs of Syrian migrants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the parents, and the data were analysed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach. Five themes were identified through data analysis: life in Temporary Accommodation Centre, the process of educational evaluation and diagnosis, special education services in Temporary Accommodation Centres, being a parent to a child with special needs in Temporary Accommodation Centres, and parents' expectations. The findings indicate that living in Temporary Accommodation Centres s with a child with special needs is physically and mentally exhausting for parents, who describe having a child with special needs as experiencing a 'second war' and express significant concerns about the future. The data have been discussed, and various recommendations have been made.