IJCSNS International Journal of Computer Science and Network Security, VOL.22 No.3, March 2022 259 Manuscript received March 5, 2022 Manuscript revised March 20, 2022 https://doi.org/10.22937/IJCSNS.2022.22.3.33 Parental Involvement and Education of Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Saudi Arabia Nizar H. Bagadood Faculty of Education, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia Summary This research aims to increase understanding of family participation in special education programs, to gain a deeper understanding of the programs themselves, and to determine the consequences of the research findings. It addresses the opportunities for families to participate in their children’s learning journey and focuses on enhancing the experience of families participating in the education of students with intellectual disabilities. This study interviews four teachers of students with intellectual disabilities, and three important themes emerge from their discussion of whether parents should participate in special education programs for their children. The findings of this study have several important implications for future practice. Keywords: intellectual disabilities, parental involvement, Saudi Arabia, special education. 1. Introduction According to Bakken and Obiakor (2016), the ideal form of parental involvement in the education of their child is the dynamic, continuing engagement of the family. This engagement includes the right of families to access appropriate schools, and to decide the extent of their participation. Parents do not only participate in their children’s learning journey at school, but also in activities at home. The involvement of families in the education process is crucial for effective student learning (Jafarov 2015). Moreover, some researchers believe that family involvement can affect children’s education skills positively (Roberts and Webster 2020). Many governments around the world encourage the active involvement of families in their children’s education, and Goodall and Vorhaus (2011) explained that this is the result of a social interest that requires the development of attitudes and structures within the family unit. It is widely believed that children who have the unconditional love and support of their parents will try their hardest to achieve good academic standards. The role of parents is not limited to their own children’s achievement, but also extends to the improvement of the school’s performance (Lara and Saracostti 2019). Indeed, proper parental involvement in education is a positive sign of good quality schooling (Đurišić and Bunijevac 2017). However, despite the ongoing improvement of the academic progress of children with intellectual disabilities (ID), there remains a considerable gap between the theory and the practice that may be due to the different levels of parental involvement from child to child. While the issue of parents attending their child’s public school has been of increasing concern around the world, only limited previous research considered the opportunities and challenges involved in the participation of parents of students with ID. Although these studies generally acknowledged that parental participation is beneficial to the overall performance of such students and the school, it found that problems remain with parents’ absolute participation in their children’s education. For instance, Viola and Daniel (2017) studied the role of parental involvement in the professional progress of youths with ID engaged in certain skills training institutions in Zambia. The study determined that the factors affecting the likelihood of parents participating in their children’s education were income, education level, and expectations. In addition, the study found that professional progress is also affected by the degree of parental participation, and whether their involvement is enthusiastic and encouraging. This implied that the parents of children with ID should participate in the education of their children, to promote the children’s development. Meanwhile, the study conducted by Djirackor (2017) focused on understanding the role of parents in teaching their children with ID cards in Ghana. The authors found that parents of children with ID play four main roles in their children’s education: monitoring their progress, notifying school authorities about their living conditions, paying the school fees, and providing educational materials to their children. The study found that parental involvement affects the academic performance and practical skills of children with ID more than it does children without ID and concluded that schools can institute policies and create obstacles for parents in their children’s education, and that effective parent-teacher