During my exchange studies in Canada, I had a friend from Sweden who talked about Jönköping University and how much she liked it. That was the main reason I started looking at the master's programmes available here.

Interventions in Childhood at the School of Health and Welfare and School of Education and Communication is about how we can get children with special needs to participate and be engaged in their daily lives. It gives a broad perspective, from biological to psychological and environmental factors.

There are some things you can’t fix, but you can focus on what a child is capable of, what their abilities are. Let them be engaged. Find ways to improve their lives. Then they can feel healthy, and their well-being will improve.

In the programme we become familiarized with current research, have guest lectures, group work and seminars, and conduct quantitative and qualitative research. There is a lot of freedom and most days I can plan my own schedule.

When I graduate, I plan to go back home to Istanbul and open a school for children with special needs. I also want to create awareness and work with families, to give them more knowledge about the importance of special education.