The Effect of Intellectual Disability and Autism Disorder on Teachers-Students’ Relationship in Special Education Programs and Centers

Abstract

The current study aimed to determine the effect of intellectual disability or autism disorder on the relationship between teachers and students with respect to a number of variables (gender, age, years of experience, qualification, type of disability, and type of school). To elicit information specific to this purpose, a hard copy and web-based survey about the relationship between teachers and students were conducted and sent to both males and females special education teachers in Riyadh city, and 183 participations were collected. Varied data analysis generated three main findings: (a) there was a conflict in the relationship between some of teachers and students with autism disorder in institutions and mainstreamed schooling, (b) there was a high degree of closeness and dependency for students with intellectual disability, and (c) there were some effective variables on the relationship between teachers and students. Implications and recommendations for future research were discussed.