Moving Into Inclusive Education for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Gulf Cooperation Council: Challenges and Recommendations

This article presents a review of the literature on the current policies and practices in the Arabian Gulf region related to the provision of education to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the context of the movement toward inclusive education (IE). The six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—still struggle to provide students with ASD with appropriate educational opportunities. The findings indicate that certain factors contribute to these difficulties, including (a) inadequate facilities for the provision of special education programming and services; (b) limited resources, such as assistive technology; (c) lack of ASD-accessible classrooms, curricula, and materials and/or failure to implement Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) for teaching those with ASD; and (d) limited numbers of teachers/professionals with special education training. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 include the provision of “quality education,” which emphasizes the importance of providing equal and IE to all children with disabilities. Implications of the findings are presented in support of the GCC countries creating and implementing a unified policy that improves educational access, formalizes IE policy, sets teacher accreditation standards, and directs the adoption of appropriate teaching strategies to meet the needs of students with ASD.