Many teaching strategies have been postulated over the past years by various scholars in an effort to enhance the education system among students with intellectual disabilities. There is much debate on the application of constructivist and behaviorist perspectives for teaching students with intellectual disabilities as addressed in this paper. Many scholars have advocated for exclusivity with regards to the use of the two approaches. However, this work recommends a combination of principles from the two approaches to best structure instructions and teaching. This paper includes a brief explanation of intellectual disabilities, a summative brief of major constructivist and behaviorist perspectives, and their implication in students with intellectual disabilities. Finally, the paper offers summary of the approaches and provides a number of recommendations for teaching intellectually challenged children in a school setting.

Introduction: This interpretive qualitative study explored professional development needs and practices for supporting and promoting the development of special education teachers in Saudi Arabia. There is an increasing demand for highly effective special education teachers in Saudi Arabia.Method: Nine teachers were interviewed. The study used the interpretive approach. Semi-structured interviews were carried out. Thematic analysis was used in data analysis. Despite positive experiences regarding the supportive environment. Findings:The majority of the participants expressed their frustration with workloads especially including administrative tasks. They clearly articulated their needs for professional development in areas specific to special education, notably more effective management of the whole process involving Individualized Educational Plans. In particular, they sought ways of improving the instruction and student attainment based on classroom situations.

Autistic spectrum disorder has gained attention in terms of developing therapies and support to enhance the developmental and social attributes of children. The aim of this study is to assess the favourable influence of play therapies among autistic children. An observational analysis has been conducted in a local rehabilitation centre. A class of 250 autistic children, aged between 4 to 5 years, was evaluated. Pre and post analysis for common indications of autism were made with regard to the play therapy. The symptoms, concerning behavioural aspects, were recorded on a simple checklist. The study did not provide any concrete relevancy of being effective for play therapy among the autistic children. The study showed that interventions based on play skills are recognized as imperative approach to develop social associations among children. The developmental approaches of autistic children differ from normal children, as they require different facilities and special attention.

Aim: The study aimed to investigate the effect of using a computer-based program in developing academic skills (reading, writing and arithmetic) for children with mild intellectual disabilities as compared to the conventional teaching instructions. Methods: The study was conducted in intellectual institutions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A randomized controlled trial design was adopted in the study to determine the impact of the intervention. The study sample was composed of boys (n = 19) and girls (n = 21) aged 6 – 10 years who were selected purposively, and randomly assigned to the experimental group and control group. The two-division experimental group one for boys (n = 8) and the other for girls (n = 12) in the experimental group was studied by using an academic skills development program or a computer-based program. Results: The results indicated that there is a positive impact of the academic skills development program, which was applied to the experimental group to improve academic skills. The reason for the absence of gender differences in academic skills for the educational program is the similarity of the educational environment and the activities used in the educational program in terms of skills, activities, training methods, similar abilities and intellectual preparations for the genders, and for their interaction with the program itself. In addition, the program corresponds to the developmental characteristics of both genders, and there are no impediments to the application of the program in both genders.

Special educational teachers’ practices in a centre for children with intellectual disabilities in Saudi Arabia were shown to be influenced by the Islamic and Arab context together with differing understandings of disability and American-influenced treatments of what are seen as inappropriate behaviours. Knowledge of the interventions which teachers find useful and effective enables identification of potential improvements in educational services for preschool children. In this interpretive qualitative study, data were collected from semi-structured interviews with fifteen teachers in a single centre. Findings identified through thematic analysis of the data are presented in three main categories: play as intervention, structure, and behaviour improvement. Teachers emphasized the importance of correcting behaviour as a prerequisite for more academic learning, with some acknowledgement of a child’s need for freedom and growing interest in Montessori. Key issues of initial teacher training and professional development would be addressed by the adoption of a more child-centred approach may be more suited to an Islamic approach to childhood.