The Association of Parental Stress and Social Support as Predictors Among Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Saudi Arabian Special Education

Background/purpose. Having a child with an intellectual disability creates significant challenges for parents, including psychological and social burdens. These challenges directly impact the home-school partnership and the child's educational experience. This study investigates the parental stress experienced by caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities (IDs) in Taif, Saudi Arabia, and identifies the best predictors of social support to mitigate this stress. A key aim was to generate findings that could inform school-based support programs and educational policy. Materials/methods. This study used a descriptive approach to collect data from 213 parents of children with IDs who completed online questionnaires measuring parental stress (Parental Stress Scale) and social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support). Results. The key findings showed that parents encounter many feelings of stress when dealing with children. Also, parents of children with intellectual disabilities encounter an apparent lack of social support from their friends and family. Predictors of social support (family, friends, others) strongly correlate with parental stress; however, the social support of friends and other important people significantly predicted parental stress. Conclusion. Parents of children with IDs experience high stress and insufficient social support. Therefore, beyond individual parent recommendations, there is a compelling need for systemic, education-focused interventions. It is recommended that schools and community organizations develop programs to facilitate parent support groups, provide resource navigation, and train educational staff on their role as key sources of support. By strengthening the ecosystem of support around the parent, educational outcomes for children with IDs can be improved.