Introduction

Educating students with disabilities is an integral part of the general educational system, as stated in the Education Policy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its general objectives 54–57 and 188–194 (Ministry of Education, 1432). Regulations and charters stipulate that providing an educational system that takes into account the needs of students with disabilities is one of their birthrights. The United Nations International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted in 2006 and signed by most world States, refers in its 24th article to the need to realize this right without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunities. All States must provide an inclusive educational system that accommodates all pupils, regardless of their condition or circumstances. With the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia signing this Convention in 2008, persons with disabilities, especially those with intellectual disabilities, started receiving more attention. Moreover, an emphasis was placed on the need to devise appropriate curricula to provide students with disabilities in general, and those with intellectual disabilities in particular, with the academic, social, independence, and professional skills that qualify them for public life, knowing that the students with disabilities cannot acquire the said skills from the standard educational curricula in their current form.

The process of devising and preparing curricula for students with intellectual disabilities requires in-depth knowledge of their characteristics and needs, as well as an understanding of the educational conditions founded on society's requirements and the learner's needs and interests (بطرس، 2010). The progression, organization and sequencing of the content should be taken into account. Moreover, the general foundations of pupils' physical, mental and social development should be taken into consideration, in addition to developing a general perception of the activities and means of instruction and assessment. Thus, the first pillar of devising curricula for students with intellectual disabilities is having a comprehensive knowledge of the students' characteristics and needs (عبد الحق، 2009). Upon lending attention to the needs of students with intellectual disabilities and focusing on their characteristics, it becomes evident that the lack of adaptive behaviour skills, which impedes the acquisition of functional skills, is due to these students' need for programmes and curricula to develop the skills necessary in their daily lives, and to gradually grow more independent as they develop.

Therefore, there is a need to devise a functional curriculum for students with intellectual disabilities that meets their needs and fills many gaps in the current curricula.

The following are some definitions of key concepts and terms used in the study.

New definition of intellectual disability (2021)

Intellectual disability is a condition characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour, which impede many daily social and practical skills. This disability manifests before the age of 22.

The researcher procedurally defines study subjects, female students with moderate intellectual disabilities, as students enrolled in intellectual education institutes and programmes affiliated with the Department of Education. These students' IQ score ranges between 40–54 as per the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), 36–51 as per the Stanford-Binet test, or the equivalent of either of them as per other standardized individual intelligence tests. Their ages range between six and 21.

Functional curriculum

The Division of Student Support Services of Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada (2008, p.7) defined the functional curriculum as an approach that focuses on the "enhancement of independence though the teaching of functional life skills. The curriculum emphasizes life skills that children and youth [...] require in their current environments and will require in future environments".

The researcher procedurally defines the functional curriculum as a set of procedures and applications related to personal and independence skills that are taught to students with intellectual disabilities at different age and school levels, to train them on the functional life skills necessary for social engagement.