Evaluation of the quality of life in individuals with intellectual disabilities: Challenges and influencing factors.
Teacher ratings confirm that Saudi students with ID feel so-so about life, with self-determination and emotional health the clear weak spots.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Teachers rated the quality of life of students with intellectual disability across Saudi Arabia.
They answered questions about eight life areas, including self-determination and emotional well-being.
The sample covered both youth and adults, letting the team see how gender and family income shape scores.
What they found
Overall quality of life landed in the moderate range.
Self-determination and emotional well-being scored lowest.
Girls and students from wealthier homes tended to do better in several domains.
How this fits with other research
Alqazlan (2025) asked guardians the same questions and got almost the same pattern—moderate scores with boys and low-income families trailing. The match shows the problem is real, not just one rater’s view.
Whaling et al. (2025) built a new Spanish scale for primary students and also flagged emotional well-being and self-determination as the weak spots. The two studies, an ocean apart, point to the same targets.
Golubović et al. (2013) found that parents and teens with ID often disagree on quality-of-life ratings. Because teacher and guardian reports now line up, adding the student’s own voice may reveal even bigger gaps.
Why it matters
You now have cross-informant proof that self-determination and emotional well-being are sore points for Saudi learners with ID. Use this when you write goals—slot in self-advocacy and mood-regulation skills instead of only academic or daily-living targets. Track these domains with brief teacher or guardian check-ins each quarter; small gains here may lift the entire quality-of-life profile.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Intellectual disability (ID) poses considerable difficulty in cognitive function and adaptive behaviour, impacting millions of individuals globally. Such adversity, which can coincide with deficits in social relationships, educational, and daily living skills, also tends to influence the general quality of life (QoL) of individuals with ID. Since QoL is a complicated, multifaceted construct which has various personal, social, and environmental associated factors, it is an important area for research and policies. OBJECTIVES: This study was aimed at assessing the QoL of individuals with ID, both adults and children, in Saudi Arabia with a focus on the most critical domains of interpersonal relationships, self-determination, social inclusion, personal development, and emotional well-being. Additionally, the study examined potential factors associated with gender, geographic area, family income and other disabilities. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional survey was conducted based on teacher-reported assessments completed on behalf of 212 children and youths with ID and 53 adults with ID and multiple disabilities from various regions of Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: The results showed that children and youth in Saudi Arabia with ID had a generally moderate QoL, but with difficulties in self-determination and emotional well-being. Additionally, demographic factors, especially gender and family income, were found to influence social inclusion and personal development, with females showing greater levels in both scales. Also, participants with lower incomes had greater interpersonal relationships and self-determination.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2025 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.105077