Short report: Parents’ perspectives on inclusive schools for students with disabilities in Saudi Arabia

Background: Educational inclusion of students with disabilities has benefits for students with and without disabilities. However, general classroom education remains inaccessible for students with disabilities in Saudi Arabia despite policy reforms in the country. Aim: To examine the perspectives of parents of children with and without disabilities on inclusion in general education classrooms. Methods and procedures: A cross-sectional survey investigated parents’ (N = 225) perspectives on inclusion in general and across four dimensions, namely impact on students with and without disabilities, and on parents and families of students with and without disabilities. Outcomes and results: Although all participants support inclusion, parents of students with disabilities agreed more strongly with statements supportive of inclusion than parents of students without disabilities. Parents of students with severe disabilities expressed the least agreement with statements supporting inclusion. Conclusions and implications: All parents supported inclusion but were concerned about the preparation and provisioning of teachers as a key factor in the success of inclusion.