The Parents’ level of Participation in the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) of their Children with Intellectual Disabilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia–A Qualitative study

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the parents’ level of participation in the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) of their children with intellectual disabilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This study employed the qualitative descriptive approach, which helps the researcher to reach the study problem and its merits, as the semi-structured interview method was adopted. In this regard, an initial survey questionnaire, in which more than (33) parents whose children receive special education services and programs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia participated, was designed. The purpose of the survey questionnaire was to identify the target sample for the interviews, based on the participants' answers and their personal desire to conduct the interview or not. The study included (4) interviews with parents of students with intellectual disabilities. After analyzing the qualitative data, the results revealed several themes and topics that relate to parents and the IEP. For example, the results indicate that all the participants have good knowledge about the basic concepts of the IEP and in a way that makes them able to understand its objectives and basic contents. Regarding communication, the results showed that the participants expressed a noticeable concern about the limited communication with the school.