OGEM Summer School Begins with the Theme “First Connection with Nature”

The “Rhythm of Nature and Sensory Exploration Project”, organized by the IZU OGEM at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University in collaboration with the Başakşehir District Directorate of National Education, has begun as part of the OGEM Summer School.

The program, taking place from 24 to 28 August 2026, brings together students diagnosed with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder, along with their families. Supported by the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Sports Sciences, the five day program is designed to support the development of various skills among children with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder through experiences involving nature, art, sports, and daily life.

In the program, led by Prof. Dr. Esra Macaroğlu Akgül, children with special needs were individually matched with volunteer university students. This structure supports the children's participation in activities according to their individual needs, while also allowing volunteer students to gain practical experience working with individuals with special needs.

The first day of the program began with introductory and orientation activities Following introductions, sports activities were conducted to support children's gross motor skills, postural control, balance, bilateral coordination, and body awareness. The sports activities were followed by a seed card-making activity coordinated by Sümeyye Tanrıverdi, during which the children were encouraged to use their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, bilateral coordination, object manipulation, and praxis skills.

Later in the day, a nature walk provided opportunities to support visual attention, visual perception, spatial orientation, balance, and environmental awareness, while the visual, auditory, tactile, and proprioceptive stimuli encountered in the natural environment offered the children a range of sensory processing experiences Planting the prepared seed cards in the hobby garden supported tactile and proprioceptive processing, motor planning, bilateral coordination, and object manipulation skills. Following the growth of the seeds they planted also contributed to their sense of responsibility, routine formation, and attention span.

The program adopted a holistic approach, enabling the children to use their sensory processing, motor performance, cognitive, social participation, and daily living skills in natural and meaningful contexts. Throughout the program, volunteer undergraduate students provided one-on-one support to the children, while Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ülkü Tosun conducted educational and experience-sharing sessions with the families to support their children’s participation and independence in daily life.