Özce Zeynep AKÇIN

Özce Zeynep Akçın was born in 1985 in Bursa. She started her undergraduate education at Boğaziçi University and completed her pre-school education in Marmara University Atatürk Faculty of Education. She completed her postgraduate education in Neuroscience at Üsküdar University on Investigation of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Rat Pups via Preeclampsia Model Created by L-Name. During her undergraduate education, she worked as a drama instructor at Boğaziçi University Social Service Club, Community Volunteers Foundation and Turkish Education Foundation. She worked as a preschool teacher in kindergartens and as special education teacher with children aged 0-8 years who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, developmental disorder, mental disability and down syndrome in Nova Special Education Center (Special Sezgin Kartal Special Education and Rehabilitation Center) and BrainGym. After completing her education with the education opened by the Ministry of National Education, she received the Special Education Expert Instructor certificate. She is currently working as a Special Education Specialist in Turkish and English in Bursa and Istanbul.

In 2013, she received the certificate of “Promoting Inclusion with Cognitive Approach in European Countries” at Bath & Spa University in the UK, which aimed inclusion of children with special needs in every aspects of life. In 2018, she took the MAKATON Language Programme in London which is a multimodal communication method that is used not only in autism but also in different special needs groups such as down syndrome, cerebral palsy or NGG individuals who have communication problems and used for teaching reading and writing in dyslexia and dysgraphy. During 2018, she made visits to places such as independent living homes for individuals with autism, assisted living homes for individuals with autism, National Autistic Society, training centers providing trainings to educators and shadow teachers, restaurants, hotels, theater and museums suitable for individuals with autism and exchanged ideas about the work they have done. She participated family and expert meetings and home observations and  the annual update of an action plan for an individual with autism in England, She also exchange knowledge with the experts working with the autistic individual about the actions carried out.

Özce Zeynep AKÇIN’s main research topics are prenatal and postnatal neurodevelopmental causes of autism spectrum disorders, neurological differences seen in ASD and their relationship with symptoms seen in ASD, relation between the symptoms and educational methods. The goal is to make the lives of children and families easier and to ensure that they have the opportunities they need.

She is one of the authors of the book “Autism – A Guide to Facilitating Life” written by Assoc. Prof. Barış Ekici. She gave education and lectures in diffrerent platforms such as Kartal Municipality, Fatih Municipality, Okan University and Üsküdar University; on topics such as “Special Education and Language Therapy Practises”, “Autism and the Brain”, “Learning Processes in the Brain and Educational Technics”, “Causes of Autism”, “Neuroscience of Autism” “Working with Children with Special Needs”, “Modeling Autism-Relevant Behavioral Phenotypes in Rodents” and “Rodent Models for Autism”. She is currently continuing his scientific research with Prof. Dr. Tayfun UZBAY and Assoc. Prof. Serhat ÖZEKES at the Uskudar University Neuropsychopharmacology Research and Application Center on prenatal causes of autism spectrum disorders, preventive treatment methods and developing diagnostic artificial intelligence software. She is coordinating the project ‘SpecialBrains’ with Prof. Dr. Sinan CANAN. She worked as a volunteer intern at the pediatric neurology clinic of Prof. Dr. Barış KORKMAZ at Cerrahpaşa Hospital.

Some of the Lectures She Gave

Game of Autism Brain
Uskudar University – Test Animals Usage Certificate
We Discussed Autism at Okan University
Fatih Municipality – Autism and Play Seminar
Uskudar University – Experimental Autism Rodent Models
Kartal Special Education Days 2019
Uskudar University– Neuroscience of Autism
Special Education, Neuroscience and Developing Communication Skills
Effective Special Education and Speech Language Therapy Applications
Autism in Early Childhood and Neuroscience of Learning

Vocational Trainings and Certificates

• Neuroplay Neurology-Based Game Therapy
• MAKATON – Multimodal Language, Speech and Communication Programme, Central Care, London
• Language and Speech Development in Individuals with Special Needs – SLP Marhaba Bobocholova, SLP Ali Yildirim
• DIR® FLOORTIME ™ 101 – ICDL Graduate School
• Light and Faint Forms of Autism – Prof Dr Yanki Yazgan
• Is It Possible to Recover from Autism? – Professor. Nahit Motavalli Mukaddes – Haseki Training and Research Hospital
• ETECOM (RT), Interaction Based Early Childhood Intervention Programme (Responsive Teaching) – Prof Dr İbrahim H. Diken
• AcuPressure 101
• 3rd National Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Intervention Congress with International Participation – Anadolu University
• A Play-Based Approach to Applied Behavior Analysis – Assoc. Prof. Amanda Boutot (Texas State University, USA) & Samuel DiGangi (Arizona State University, USA) – Anadolu University
• Routines-Based Assessment & Early Intervention – Prof. Dr. Robin McWilliam (Siskin’s Child Institute, USA) – Anadolu University
• Articulation (Speech and Language Therapy) – Marhaba BOBOCHOLOVA, SLP; Ali YILDIRIM, SLP – Speech Academy
• Design and Development of Educational Technology – MIT School of Distance Education
• Introduction to Game Design – MIT School of Distance Education
• Child Assessment Tests – Kim Psychology
• Positive Behavior Support for Young Children in Early Childhood – University of Washington
• Promoting Inclusion with Cognitive Approach in European Countries – Bath & Spa University
• Marmara University Early Childhood Education Conference & School Observations with Faculty Members from USA and Denmark
• Creative Drama – Marmara University 7th National Preschool Education Student Congress
• Anger Management – Marmara University 7th National Preschool Education Student Congress
• Rhythm in Preschool Music Activities – Marmara University 7th National Preschool Education Student Congress
• Teacher’s Nature and Human Perception – Mavi Düşler Education Consultancy
• Diction and Reading – Mavi Düşler Education Consultancy
• Creative Drama in Branch Lessons – Mavi Düşler Education Consultancy
• Anger Control and Life Coaching – Mavi Düşler Education Consultancy
• Image and Body Language in Effective Teaching – Mavi Düşler Education Consultancy
• Marmara University Education Days
• An Interview on Autism, Prof Dr Yankı Yazgan – Marmara University