Develop standards to ensure the quality of educational programs and services provided for people with autism spectrum disorder in Libya

Background: Autism spectrum disorder is a construct used to describe individuals with a specific combination of impairments in social communication and repetitive behaviours, highly restricted interests and/or sensory behaviours beginning early in life. The worldwide prevalence of autism is just under 1%, but estimates are higher in high-income countries.Objectives: The study aimed to develop standards for quality assurance of the educational programs provided to students with children with autism spectrum disorders in the centres of the three cities (Misurata, Zlatan and Elkhoms).Methodology: The study focused on the following problem: To what extent are educational programs and services provided to children with autism committed to quality standards? The study sample consists of (22) centres for Autism Spectrum Disorder in the three cities of Misurata, Zliten and Elkhoms). In order to achieve the study objectives, a scale was developed to assess the quality assurance of the educational programs provided to students with children with Autism Spectrum. This scale consists of (9) dimensions, which cover eighty-seven sub-indicatorsResults: The study results concluded the following: A Proposed Model to develop standards for quality assurance of educational programs provided to children with autism spectrum disorder was built. This proposed model consists of (9) Criteria (Strategic Planning, Management and personnel, The educational environment, Methods and Strategies of Teaching, Services and Programs, professional ethics, family participation and support, Merger and Transition Services, measurement and evaluation. The level of applicability of all quality standards was found to be low, with a relative weight of 47%. The standard of management and employees has obtained the highest level of applicability with a relative weight (55%) (Medium), and the standard of Strategic Planning was found to be the lowest one among all the educational programs and services provided to children with autism spectrum disorder with a relative weight (32%).Conclusion: Standards have been proposed to ensure the quality of educational programs and services provided to people with autism spectrum disorder in Libya, represented in nine dimensions, which are (strategic planning, management and personnel, educational environment, teaching methods and strategies, services and programs, professional practice, family participation and support, integration and transitional services, measurement and evaluation It covers (87) sub-indicators. The level of applicability of all criteria as a whole was low, with a relative weight of (50%)Recommendations: Directing the attention of officials to the need to adopt standards to control the quality of educational programs and services provided to people with autism spectrum disorder. Coordination between the agencies that supervise the services provided to the autism spectrum disorder category at the level of Libya. Finding specialized supervisory oversight bodies and working on training and developing them to supervise and follow up in the field.