Physical Education Teachers’ Participation in Developing Individualized Educational Plans (IEP) for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Abstract

This descriptive cross-sectional study examined physical education (PE) teachers perceived preparedness, multidisciplinary collaboration, and participation in individualized education program (IEP) processes for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from a purposive sample of 44 PE teachers using a 21-item questionnaire assessing professional preparation (7 items), collaboration (6 items), and role recognition and participation (8 items). The reported mean scores were 4.46 (SD = 0.47) for preparation, 3.95 (SD = 0.94) for collaboration, and 4.25 (SD = 0.71) for role recognition and participation. Although teachers reported a strong appreciation of their role in the IEP process, comparatively lower scores for formal meeting invitations (M = 3.82) and participation in goal formulation (M = 4.00) highlighted potential gaps between perceived professional responsibility and active involvement in collaborative planning. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening formal collaboration mechanisms, ensuring PE teachers’ inclusion in IEP meetings, and providing targeted professional development. Given the purposive sampling strategy, self-reported measures, and cross-sectional design, the findings should be interpreted cautiously and cannot establish causal relationships or be generalized to all PE teachers in overall Saudi Arabia.