Service Accessibility Barriers and Support Priorities Reported by Caregivers of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Jazan, Saudi Arabia

Evidence on caregiver-reported service accessibility, support needs, and priorities for children with neurodevelopmental disorders in Jazan remains limited. The main objectives of this study are to quantify caregiver-reported access barriers, describe informational and social support indicators and service priorities, and identify factors associated with access problems. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of caregivers in Jazan between February and July 2025 ( n = 217). Access outcomes in the past 12 months were local unavailability, waiting lists/appointment delays, financial difficulty, and difficulty obtaining information. The survey also captured caregiver-reported informational and social support indicators (e.g., awareness/participation in advocacy groups, information sources, and satisfaction with supports) and priorities for service improvement. Associations were examined using bivariate tests (two-sided P < 0.05). Children had a mean age of 7.0 years; first concerns arose at 2.7 years and diagnosis occurred at 4.5 years. Hospital-recorded neurodevelopmental disorder diagnoses included attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; 72.4%), developmental speech and language disorder (27.2%), intellectual disability (25.8%), and autism spectrum disorder (13.4%). Caregivers reported waiting lists (53.5%), local unavailability (50.2%), financial difficulty (48.4%), and difficulty obtaining information (47.0%). Advocacy-group awareness was low (11.5%), with 6.5% reporting participation. Later diagnosis was associated with local unavailability ( P = 0.036) and waiting list delays ( P = 0.019). Intellectual disability was associated with financial difficulty ( P = 0.037) and difficulty obtaining information ( P = 0.009); ADHD was associated with financial difficulty ( P < 0.001) and difficulty obtaining information ( P = 0.001). Caregivers most frequently prioritized improved education services (90.8%), followed by healthcare (55.3%), parent education at diagnosis (46.1%), and community awareness (39.2%). In conclusion, access barriers are common and linked to delayed diagnosis, while informational and social supports remain limited. Findings support coordinated cross-sector action to expand local capacity and strengthen family-centered supports.