Abstract
The study investigates the problems of adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from the perspective of ASD specialists and adolescent’s families. It comprises of 228 ASD specialists and 294 families of ASD adolescents. The sample represents all areas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (henceforth – KSA): north, south, east, west and centre. Variables of the study are adolescents’ gender, age, residential area, as well as the qualification of ASD specialists and family members. To accomplish the study, the researchers designed a questionnaire that includes variables regarding six significant problems: Educational, Recreational, Economic, Health, Psychological, and Social. The results reveal that families rate the economic problems higher than average, while the recreational ones – lower; specialists rate economic problems higher than average and educational ones – the lowest. As for gender variable, specialists and families note the differences in favour of females; for age variable, specialists and families note that 15-18 years old ASD adolescents have more problems. The results show that qualification of specialists as well as family members is of significant relevance in relation to ASD adolescents. Both specialists and family members are mostly from the central regions.
Highlights
Adolescence is an important stage in human life; this stage is interspersed with significant emotional and physiological changes (Sawyer, Azzopardi, Wickremarathne, & Patton, 2018)
In compliance with KSA’s Vision 2030 and The National Transformation Plan 2020, which provides for the empowerment of persons with disabilities, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development has ordered to cancel scholarships for young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and finance the relevant ASD services in KSA instead (Fakeeh, 2016)
This study aims to determine the various significant problems that ASD adolescents encounter, whether those problems are social, educational, psychological, recreational, or medical
Summary
Adolescence is an important stage in human life; this stage is interspersed with significant emotional and physiological changes (Sawyer, Azzopardi, Wickremarathne, & Patton, 2018). These changes affect the adolescent’s behaviour and his/her interaction with family, friends, and society in general (Jiménez-Iglesias, Moreno, Ramos, & Rivera, 2015). At this stage, an adolescent reaches emotional and intellectual maturity, his/her personality and self-perception are formed. KSA runs short of essential services for ASD youth, and it is necessary to develop new high-quality services in different centres and establishments (Alshuwaikhat & Mohammed, 2017)
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