Transition services for high school students with intellectual disability in Saudi Arabia: issues and recommendations.

In 2005, Saudi high schools began providing transition services for students with intellectual disability. However, recent studies have found that these services need improvement. Therefore, this study explored current transition services to help identify challenges that weaken these services and to recommend improvements for them. Eleven teachers of students with intellectual disability were interviewed, and data were analyzed qualitatively. Study findings concluded that four main issues must be addressed to advance Saudi transition services: (1) special education teacher preparation programs, (2) transition services' policies and regulations, (3) Individualized Transition Plans, and (4) collaborative practices.

Oxides for Rectenna Technology.

The quest to harvest untapped renewable infrared energy sources has led to significant research effort in design, fabrication and optimization of a self-biased rectenna that can operate without external bias voltage. At the heart of its design is the engineering of a high-frequency rectifier that can convert terahertz and infrared alternating current (AC) signals to usable direct current (DC). The Metal Insulator Metal (MIM) diode has been considered as one of the ideal candidates for the rectenna system. Its unparalleled ability to have a high response time is due to the fast, femtosecond tunneling process that governs current transport. This paper presents an overview of single, double and triple insulator MIM diodes that have been fabricated so far, in particular focusing on reviewing key figures of merit, such as zero-bias responsivity (ß0), zero-bias dynamic resistance (R0) and asymmetry. The two major oxide contenders for MInM diodes have been NiO and Al2O3, in combination with HfO2, Ta2O5, Nb2O5, ZnO and TiO2. The latter oxide has also been used in combination with Co3O4 and TiOx. The most advanced rectennas based on MI2M diodes have shown that optimal (ß0 and R0) can be achieved by carefully tailoring fabrication processes to control oxide stoichiometry and thicknesses to sub-nanometer accuracy.

Challenges to parental involvement in transition planning for children with intellectual disabilities: The perspective of special education teachers in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: A transition plan refers to post-high school goals identified and developed on the basis of the needs, strengths, skills, and interests of students. A significant factor for achieving successful transition planning is parental involvement. In this regard, many studies in Saudi have explored the barriers to effective collaboration between schools and parents. AIM: From the perspective of special education teachers, the study examined parental participation in transition planning for students with intellectual disability enrolled in schools in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, parental challenges were discussed. METHODS: A questionnaire was used to collect data from 91 special education teachers. The t-test, confirmatory factor analysis, and Cronbach's alpha were used for statistical analysis. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Results indicated that parents lacked participation in transition planning for several reasons, such as lack of time and lack of knowledge about transition. However, the study found that schools did not proactively seek parental participation nor provide substantial guidance about transition services to enable parents to provide a meaningful contribution to planning. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Limitations and implications for future research and practice are discussed.

A qualitative study of supported employment practices in Project SEARCH.

Project SEARCH is a unique program for young adults with intellectual disabilities to transition from high school to work. This program teaches individuals with intellectual disabilities (interns) job skills in an inclusive work environment, such as a hospital. The purpose of the study is to understand the involvement and perceptions of supported employment within Project SEARCH for coworkers of the interns and Project SEARCH staff. Qualitative research methods were employed in this study. The data were collected by interviewing two groups separately, Project SEARCH staff and coworkers of the interns. The results indicated that the participants had provided an inclusive work environment to the interns through positive attitudes and support. The results have important implications for research in the field of inclusive and supported employment.

Mental Health Literacy Among Undergraduate Students of a Saudi Tertiary Institution: A Cross-sectional Study.

The issue of mental health literacy has been widely studied in developed countries, with few studies conducted in Arab countries. In this study we aimed to investigate mental health literacy and attitudes towards psychiatric patients among students of Jazan University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A crosssectional study was conducted among undergraduate students using a validated Arabicversion questionnaire. A total of 557 students were recruited from different Jazan university colleges. The majority of students (90.3%) have intermediate mental health literacy. Regarding the etiology of mental illness, students agreed that genetic inheritance (45.8%), poor quality of life (65%) and social relationship weakness (73.1%) are the main causes of mental illness. The majority thought that mentally ill people are not capable of true friendships (52.5%) and that anyone can suffer from a mental illness (49.4%). Students' attitudes towards psychiatric patients were mixed, with 68.7% reporting that they could maintain a friendship with a mentally ill person and that people with mental illness should have the same rights as anyone else (82.5%). Mental health literacy among university students was intermediate. There is an urgent need for health educational programs to change the attitudes of students regarding this important health issue.