Saudi Arabia has produced more peer-reviewed research in the past 10 years than ever before (El-Showk, 2016). The country is leading its Arab counterparts in the annual number of both published scientific research and obtained patents. A review of the published research across topics and fields of study, the research designs used, and the populations targeted, is needed in various fields to move related scientific research forward. The current review addresses the Saudi Arabian research related to special education during a 32-year period; that is, between 1984 and 2016. This review identified 3,381 relevant publications, yielding 499 publications that met the criteria for inclusion in the analysis. These studies were analyzed to determine any trends of publication, language used for publications, use of interventions, research design, participants, settings, research topics, and affiliation of the authors. The discussion notes drawbacks and highlights areas for further consideration by special education researchers in Saudi Arabia.

Transitioning to adult life is considered one of the most critical phases in the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). While studies have been published pertaining to the provision of transition services for students with IDD in some developed countries, such as the United States of America, little research has been carried out in this area in Saudi Arabia. This research gap is consistent with the lack of evidence-based services in Saudi Arabia to assist students with IDD in preparing for and transitioning to adult life. This study describes the provision of services supporting the transition for secondary students with IDD in Saudi Arabia, using the Taxonomy for Transition Programming developed by Kohler (1996) as a framework. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with eight special education teachers working with students with IDD. The results reveal four main findings: (a) the lack of transition services, (b) insufficient teacher preparation in transition services, (c) poor family-school relationships, and (d) teacher willingness to use the Taxonomy for transition programming with students. The study concludes with a discussion of the research limitations and recommendations. KEYWORDS Intellectual disability, autism, transition services, transition programs, Kohler taxonomy, Saudi Arabia