Examining maternal unmet needs and perception about autism-related services in Saudi Arabia

This study aimed to explore maternal experiences about autism services in Saudi Arabia. The main focus of the study was to gather maternal perceptions and needs about current services used for their autistic children in Saudi Arabia. The outcomes from this study will be an important source of information for service providers as parental experiences are considered as a reliable source of information about their children.

Data were gathered from seven focus groups with a total of twenty-nine mothers from different geographical areas in Saudi Arabia. Background data about the mothers and their family' were also collected and considered within the framework.

Three master themes were generated; i) maternal experiences of daily home/school provisions, ii) maternal suggestions to enhance existing services, and iii) maternal suggestions for future services. The findings from study provide with an understanding of Saudi mothers of autistic children's perception of autism provision services. This study provides data from maternal lived experiences about their needs for services, barriers and their suggestions for better services. It also provides a direction for parental and community support which ought to be initiated in Saudi Arabia to provide better family outcomes.