Date of Defense
15-4-2026 10:00 AM
Location
https://uaeu-ac-ae.zoom.us/j/81424282427
Document Type
Thesis Defense
Degree Name
Master of Education (Special Education)
College
College of Education
Department
Special and Gifted Education
First Advisor
Ahmed Hamdan
Keywords
Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Parents, Conceptions, Causes, United Arab Emirates
Abstract
When no verified causes are pinned to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), individuals construct their own beliefs based on their own context. Some studies aimed at unfolding these beliefs globally, yet a gap remained in examining this in the United Arab Emirates context. This study investigated Emirati parents' causal conceptions of NDDs across health, genetic, environmental, and religious domains between parents of children with disabilities and parents of typically developing children. This study implemented an exploratory sequential mixed methods research design, as the data was collected in two subsequent phases where the qualitative phase's exploratory findings informed the creation of the quantitative phase's instrument. Phase 1 comprised 30 individual, semi-structured interviews (15 per parent group) analyzed thematically to derive belief themes and sub-themes. Phase 2 involved a quantitative online survey with 226 parent respondents (82 with children with disabilities and 144 with typically developing children). Interviews revealed multi-layered causal attributions integrating biomedical, environmental, and spiritual explanations. The survey findings revealed that the highest believed causal factors were religious, namely the belief that NDDs are a result of divine will and destiny. Overall, the study highlights the complexity of parental conceptions of NDDs and informs culturally responsive parent communication, awareness initiatives, and professional training within the UAE's inclusive education and healthcare systems.
Included in
Parental Conceptions on the Causes of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in the United Arab Emirates
https://uaeu-ac-ae.zoom.us/j/81424282427
When no verified causes are pinned to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), individuals construct their own beliefs based on their own context. Some studies aimed at unfolding these beliefs globally, yet a gap remained in examining this in the United Arab Emirates context. This study investigated Emirati parents' causal conceptions of NDDs across health, genetic, environmental, and religious domains between parents of children with disabilities and parents of typically developing children. This study implemented an exploratory sequential mixed methods research design, as the data was collected in two subsequent phases where the qualitative phase's exploratory findings informed the creation of the quantitative phase's instrument. Phase 1 comprised 30 individual, semi-structured interviews (15 per parent group) analyzed thematically to derive belief themes and sub-themes. Phase 2 involved a quantitative online survey with 226 parent respondents (82 with children with disabilities and 144 with typically developing children). Interviews revealed multi-layered causal attributions integrating biomedical, environmental, and spiritual explanations. The survey findings revealed that the highest believed causal factors were religious, namely the belief that NDDs are a result of divine will and destiny. Overall, the study highlights the complexity of parental conceptions of NDDs and informs culturally responsive parent communication, awareness initiatives, and professional training within the UAE's inclusive education and healthcare systems.