Teachers’ implementation of the assessment, evaluation, and programming system for children with ADHD in Saudi inclusive kindergartens: a qualitative multiple-case study

The Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System (AEPS) is a curriculum-based early intervention programme, but little attention has been paid to how teachers implement it for children with ADHD in Saudi inclusive kindergartens. This qualitative multiple-case study explored how teachers implemented the AEPS and the factors they perceived as related to their practices. Four special education teachers from two Saudi cities participated. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis, followed by cross-case analysis to identify convergent and divergent patterns. Teachers generally perceived the AEPS as a useful framework for supporting children with ADHD but also described several constraints on its implementation. Across the cases, differences in professional training, programme flexibility, parental engagement, and classroom conditions were observed alongside differences in teachers’ reported implementation practices. Teachers reported addressing these challenges by combining AEPS activities with additional behaviour-management strategies. An exploratory conceptual model was developed to represent provisional associations among contextual and teacher-related conditions and reported AEPS implementation practices. Recommendations for policy and practice are offered to strengthen early intervention services in Saudi inclusive kindergartens.