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Barriers to Reducing the Assistive Technology Use for Students with Autism As Perceived by Special Education Teachers in Saudi Arabia

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Barriers to Reducing the Assistive Technology Use for Students with Autism As Perceived by Special Education Teachers in Saudi Arabia University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School March 2021 Barriers to Reducing the Assistive Technology use for Students with Autism as Perceived by Special Education Teachers in Saudi Arabia Othman Ahmed Alasmari University of South Florida Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Special Education and Teaching Commons, and the Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons Scholar Commons Citation Alasmari, Othman Ahmed, "Barriers to Reducing the Assistive Technology use for Students with Autism as Perceived by Special Education Teachers in Saudi Arabia" (2021). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/8718 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Barriers to Reducing the Assistive Technology use for Students with Autism as Perceived by Special Education Teachers in Saudi Arabia by Othman Ahmed Alasmari A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Special Education Department of Teaching and Learning College of Education University of South Florida Major Professor: Brenda L Walker, Ph.D., J.D. Karen Colucci, Ph.D. Sanghoon Park, Ph.D. Vonzell Agosto, Ph.D. Date of Approval: March 1, 2021 Keywords: Classroom, School, Technology Integration, Obstacles Copyright © 2021, Othman Ahmed Alasmari ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation and doctoral degree would not have been possible without Allah's blessing on me. I would thus like to take this moment to express my gratitude to Allah for giving me ability, opportunity, support, and strength in my endeavors. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation for the noteworthy individuals who have supported me in this journey. I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Brenda L. Walker, for her support, guidance, and kindness. I will be forever grateful to her. Without her efforts and assistance, this dissertation would have never been completed. I also extend my thanks to Dr. Sanghoon Park, whose insight, fantastic advice, and endless efforts toward my work greatly improved its quality. My sincere appreciation goes to Dr. Karen Colucci, who gave valuable advice and encouragement throughout her classes and as I worked on my dissertation. I also thank Dr. Vonzell Agosto for her flexibility and generosity; she was always there when I needed her support. I cannot forget to thank Dr. Jennifer Wolgemuth, who contributed to the development of the methodology of this dissertation. I feel extremely fortunate to have been a student of Dr. Phyllis Jones, she was truly an excellent role model, an inspiration, and a mentor with incredibly extensive knowledge. Without my father and mother's support, my goals in life would have never been achieved. They have always been my inspiration for success, and their encouragement and emotional support gave me the confidence and strength to achieve my goals. I would also like to express my gratitude to my great family, who have always been a source of strength, support, and love. I would like to acknowledge all of the extraordinary individuals who given me encouragement, support, and help throughout this challenging journey. I am also indebted to my amazing friends and colleagues along with everyone at the University of South Florida who supported and motivated me to finish this dissertation. I would also like to express my happiness at spending the best five years of my life in Tampa. This beautiful city provided me with the best lifestyle to provide a favorable environment for learning. Lastly, I am grateful to the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for giving me the opportunity to complete my higher education at one of the best universities in the world. DEDICATION The educational journey has been challenging and time-consuming and it couldn't have achieved without the support of extraordinary individuals beside me. I dedicate this work to my parents, family, and friends for their prayers, unconditional support, and continuous encouragement during my life. I would also like to dedicate this dissertation to all individuals with autism and their families and professionals in the autism field. I hope that this work will be a part that contributes to the development of services provided to individuals with autism. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iv CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................1 Overview ............................................................................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem .................................................................................................... 5 Purpose ................................................................................................................................ 7 Research Questions ............................................................................................................. 7 Significance of the Study .................................................................................................... 8 Conceptual Framework ....................................................................................................... 9 Summary of Methodology ................................................................................................ 11 Definition of Terms ........................................................................................................... 12 Assistive Technology ............................................................................................ 12 Integrating Technology ......................................................................................... 12 Barriers .................................................................................................................. 12 Autism Spectrum Disorder ................................................................................... 13 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 13 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................14 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 14 The Education System in Saudi Arabia ............................................................................ 15 Teachers of Students with Autism in Saudi Arabia .......................................................... 18 Importance of Teachers of Students with Autism Training on use AT ............................ 20 Students with Autism ........................................................................................................ 23 The Number of Students with Autism in Saudi Arabia .................................................... 26 Assistive Technology (AT) ............................................................................................... 27 Low-Tech Devices ................................................................................................ 29 Mid-Tech Devices ................................................................................................. 29 High-Tech Devices ............................................................................................... 29 Benefit of Assistive Technology ....................................................................................... 30 Legislation and Regulations .............................................................................................. 36 The Legislation of the US ..................................................................................... 37 The Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 (The Tech Act Public Law 100-407). .......... 37 The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) .............................. 37 The 1998 Amendment to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. ............. 37 The Assistive Technology Act of 1998. ................................................... 38 The Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act Amendments of 1994 ................................................ 38 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 .....................................................................................................38 i The Legislation of Saudi Arabia. .......................................................................... 38 Legislation of Disability (LD). ................................................................. 38 Disability Code. ........................................................................................ 39 Regulations of Special Education Programs and Institutes. ..................... 39 Barriers to the Usage of Assistive Technology ......................................... 40 First-Order Barriers ............................................................................................... 40 Lack of access. .........................................................................................
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