Promoting Successful Transitions in High School Students With Emotional Disturbance in Saudi Arabia: Educators’ Voices

Abstract

Providing transition planning and services to students with emotional disturbance (ED) can enhance their success in postsecondary education, employment, and independent living. This qualitative study explores how special educators in Riyadh, the capital city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), perceive the necessity of promoting transition services for high school students with ED and developing important aspects to implement these services. Study participants were ten special educators majoring in ED who were purposefully sampled from a special education graduate program. The results indicate that all study participants believe there is a need to promote transition services in Saudi schools to support students with ED. The results also highlight four fundamental foundations that educators want to develop to promote the implementation of transition services in Saudi schools: the regulation of special education, transition assessment tools, transition teamwork, and teacher professional development programs in transition. Recommendations for future research are discussed as well.