Self-determination in Male Children with Intellectual Disabilities: Perceptions of Parents from Saudi Arabia

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104011Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Experience and opportunities impact the development of self-determination.

  • Saudi parents value self-determination for their young adult with disability.

  • Children with disability provided with fewer opportunities for self-determination.

  • Engagement in self-determined behavior influenced by disability status.

Abstract

Background

Self-determination is essential for improving the quality of life of individuals with disabilities. Prior research has indicated that parents’ values and practices are important in supporting the development of self-determination in their children.

Aim

The purpose of the study was to examine Saudi Arabian parents' values and perceptions regarding the importance, performance, and provision of self-determination opportunities to their high school male children with and without intellectual disability.

Methods

The participants were 133 parents of high school children (76 parents of a child without disabilities and 57 parents of a child with intellectual disabilities, accounting for 57.1% and 42.8%, respectively). Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests were used to understand parents’ perceptions of and behaviors related to self-determination.

Results

The results revealed no significant difference in the ratings of the importance of self-determination between the two groups of parents. Parents of children with intellectual disabilities rated their child’s self-determination performance lower and provided fewer opportunities to improve their children’s self-determination.

Conclusion

The results suggested that self-determination skills were valued in Saudi Arabia, highlighting that disability may affect the performance and opportunities to practice self-determination.

Section snippets

What This Paper Adds

Parent’s perspectives and beliefs are essential for supporting self-determination and providing opportunities for their children to practice and learn self-determination. The study provides an understanding of the social validity of self-determination in Saudi Arabia from parent’s perspective and how the existence of disability impacts their perceptions. Understanding such perceptions should be the first step in introducing interventions and practices developed to support the self-determination

Methodology

The current study utilized a survey design to understand parents’ perceptions of and behaviors related to Self-D skills of their high school male children with and without ID.

Results

The purpose of the study was to explore Saudi Arabian parents’ perceptions of Self-D skills and practices they used to enhance these skills in their high school male children with ID and without disabilities. This section contains three parts: (a) the parents’ ratings of the importance of Self-D skills and comparison of the ratings of the two groups of parents, (b) the parents’ ratings of their high school children’s performance on Self-D skills and comparison of the ratings of the two groups

Discussion

This study provides new insights into parental perceptions of Self-D for their male children in Saudi Arabia. Self-D is essential for preparing students to be active agents in their emerging responsibilities as adults (Wehmeyer, Abery, Mithaug, & Stancliffe, 2003). Environmental factors influence parents' beliefs and attitudes, affecting their perceptions and practices regarding their children’s Self-D. This study investigated Saudi parents’ perceptions and practices of Self-D skills for their

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