At a glance
- The questions parents ask us most often: Will my child speak? How long does education take? Does my child have autism?
- The honest answer to these questions usually varies by child and becomes clear with evaluation; it wouldn't be right to state a definitive time or result in advance.
- Deniz Yıldızı conducts preliminary evaluations and refers to a physician when necessary.
- We work with children and youth ages 0–3, 3–6, 6–12, and 12+.
- The process begins with making an appointment; the comprehensive expert consultation is done by Psychologist (MSc) Burcu Cebeci Gürel and takes about 1 hour.
Prepared by: Deniz Yıldızı Special Education content team · Scientific review: Psychologist (MSc) Burcu Cebeci Gürel · Last updated: 15 September 2026
What topics did we answer questions on?
We sorted the questions according to the headings parents are most curious about. You can find the answers to all of them in the questions section below.
Start and preliminary meeting
How the first step is taken, what happens in the preliminary meeting, when appointments are returned.
Diagnosis and evaluation
How evaluation is done, how to tell if it is autism.
Session and program
Individual and group work, updating the program, tracking progress.
RAM report
The difference between education with and without a report, who to learn the process from.
Home and school
Things to do at home, bilingual families, screen time, school collaboration.
Speech and development
Will my child speak, do cards delay speaking, when will it pass.
Which commonly heard phrases are misleading?
We often hear these phrases from well-meaning relatives. However, waiting can cause the loss of valuable time for early support.
The truth
- If there is a concern about development, an evaluation should be sought instead of waiting
- Support started early contributes significantly to the child's developmental process
- Preschool or school is a valuable social environment but does not replace special education on its own
- Behind a difficult behavior, there is mostly a skill not yet acquired, not "not wanting to do it"
- For reliable information, you need to consult experts who know your child
Commonly heard but misleading phrases
- "Boys speak late, he will open up."
- "He is still little, he will grow out of it."
- "He will be fine once he starts speaking."
- "Let's send him to preschool, he will open up."
- "He started school, he doesn't need support."
- "He is acting naughty, otherwise he is very smart." or "He would do it if he wanted to."
What is some brief information about Deniz Yıldızı?
| Topic | Information |
|---|---|
| Areas of work | Autism, speech and language, ADHD, specific learning difficulty, giftedness, risky baby developmental follow-up, intellectual disability, and Down syndrome |
| Age groups | 0–3, 3–6, 6–12, and over 12 years old |
| Team | 13 people: 6 psychologists (3 of them psychologists (MSc)), 2 speech and language therapists, 2 special education teachers, 2 child development specialists, 1 occupational therapist |
| Preliminary meeting | Free of charge, approx. 1 hour, with Psychologist (MSc) Burcu Cebeci Gürel |
| Program update | Every 3 months |
| Contact | 0530 407 00 78 (phone and WhatsApp) · denizyildizizmir@gmail.com |
| Address | Kazımdirik Mah. 372/14 Sk. No:20, Bornova / Izmir (near Forum Bornova) |
| Working hours | Every day except Sunday 09.00–18.00 |
Can I trust what I read on the internet?
Many parents who have newly received a diagnosis or are worried about their child look at the internet first. However, one of the most common difficulties we encounter among parents is trusting incorrect or unsuitable information for the child on the internet.
Every child's developmental profile is different; a method that works for another child may not be suitable for your child. Before trying a method you read about, we recommend consulting experts who know your child.
The answers on this page are also general information. The roadmap specific to your child will become clear with a preliminary meeting and evaluation.
Frequently asked questions
Will my child speak?
The honest answer to this question varies for every child and it wouldn't be right to say anything definitive in advance. After your child's communication and language skills are evaluated, we openly discuss with you in which areas and how progress can be made.
How long does the education take?
The duration varies depending on the child's needs, age, and progress; so we cannot give a definitive time from the start. The program is reviewed every 3 months and re-planned according to progress.
How can I tell if my child has autism?
Our institution makes a preliminary evaluation with observations, developmental scales, and parent interviews; if there is suspicion, we refer you to a physician.
What should I do at home?
What to do at home is determined according to your child's needs. We offer a home program, parent coaching, and video feedback to families; this way, we plan together what and how you will do things at home.
When will it pass?
Developmental conditions like autism are not conditions that "pass" like a disease; however, with the right support, the child's skills can develop. We set goals step by step and regularly share the progress with you.
Boys speak late, should I wait?
We do not recommend waiting. If you think there is a delay in speaking, an evaluation should be done regardless of gender.
Will they open up if I send them to preschool?
Preschool is a valuable social environment but does not solely meet a developmental need. It is more appropriate to evaluate your child's needs first and plan support together with preschool if necessary.
My child started school, do they still need support?
Starting school does not eliminate the need for support; school also requires new skills. If the family approves, we collaborate through teacher meetings, homework plans, and school visits.
What do you do in the preliminary evaluation?
Our institution makes a preliminary evaluation by applying necessary tests and scales and refers to a physician when necessary.
What should I do as a first step?
You can call us at 0530 407 00 78, write on WhatsApp, or fill out the form on the site. Our assistant returns the requests from the site on the same day.
What happens in the comprehensive expert consultation?
You will have a meeting of about 1 hour with Psychologist (MSc) Burcu Cebeci Gürel, and your child's developmental history will be taken in detail. A verbal evaluation is given to you at the end of the meeting.
Which age groups do you work with?
We work with children and youth aged 0–3, 3–6, 6–12, and over 12 years old. We use screening tools for risky baby developmental follow-up in the 0–6 age range.
Will they receive individual or group education?
Our sessions are planned as a mix of individual and group work. The extent of which work will take place is determined according to the child's needs.
How often is the education program updated?
The team jointly prepares the Individualized Education Program and reviews it every 3 months. Progress is monitored through periodic test repetitions and observation notes.
Can we receive education without a RAM report?
Yes. For a student without a RAM report, we determine the number of sessions together with the family. For a student with a RAM report, the plan is made according to the decision in the report.
Where can I learn about the RAM report process?
We explain the process to parents over the phone and in a face-to-face meeting. We also recommend consulting your affiliated RAM for current details such as documents and durations.
Does using picture cards delay speaking?
No. Supportive communication tools like picture cards do not delay speaking, they support communication. We only resort to these tools in our institution when deemed necessary.
Does speaking two languages at home delay speech?
Bilingualism alone does not cause delayed speech and increases the child's language capacity. Unless there is an additional condition in the expert evaluation, we do not recommend reducing to a single language.
Can autism go unnoticed in girls?
In girls, some signs may be less noticeable and the child may hide the areas they struggle with. Therefore, we pay special attention to these signs in evaluation, get teacher and school opinions, and gather information from multiple environments.
Will my child need to be given medication?
The decision regarding medication belongs to the physician; we do not make decisions on this matter. When the family requests, we provide information and collaborate with the physician through report sharing and meetings.
Which experts are on the team?
Our team consists of 13 people: 6 psychologists (3 of them psychologists (MSc)), 2 speech and language therapists, 2 special education teachers, 2 child development specialists, and 1 occupational therapist. The work is discussed in supervision every week.
How much are the session fees?
We share pricing information on the phone or in the meeting. You can contact us at 0530 407 00 78 for current information; the initial preliminary meeting is free of charge.
Which tools are used in the evaluation?
Depending on the child's needs, developmental screening tests, speech and language tests, attention and cognitive evaluations, and reading and writing tests can be used. It looks at the whole, not just a single test, along with observation, parent interviews, and school opinions when necessary. You can find the list of tools we use on our Evaluation Tools page.
Where are you located, what are your working hours?
We are located at Kazımdirik Mah. 372/14 Sk. No:20, Bornova / Izmir, near Forum Bornova. We are open every day except Sunday between 09.00–18.00.
