Perceived Knowledge of Executive Functions and Its Relationship to Special Education Teachers' Ratings of the Frequency of Executive Function Difficulties among Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study investigated special education teachers’ perceived knowledge of executive functions and their perceptions of the frequency of executive-function-related difficulties among students with autism spectrum disorder in Saudi Arabia. Using a cross-sectional descriptive correlational design, data were collected from 158 male and female teachers through an electronic questionnaire that included a single-item measure of perceived knowledge and a 20-item scale assessing executive-function difficulties. Findings indicated that teachers reported a moderate level of perceived knowledge (M = 3.25, SD = 1.04), while the observed frequency of executive-function difficulties among students was rated as occurring often (M = 3.47, SD = 0.41). Significant differences in perceived knowledge were found across academic qualification, gender, years of experience, educational setting, and teaching stage; however, regression analysis revealed that academic qualification was the only significant predictor, with postgraduate degree holders reporting higher knowledge levels. In contrast, teachers’ ratings of executive-function difficulties did not differ significantly across any demographic or professional characteristics, and no significant relationship was found between perceived knowledge and estimates of the frequency of executive-function difficulties (ρ = .109, p = .174).