Pulsed laser damage model of optical coatings with absorbing inclusion was investigated.The case for absorbing inclusion thermal model was derived from the thermal conduction equations and the heat transfer from the absorbing defects to the host coatings materials was considered.The absorption cross section of the inclusion was simplified by introducing scattering coefficient.The model was used to simulate the damage onset and the damage expanding process.ZrO_2∶Y2O_3 monolayer was prepared by Electron Beam Evaporation(EBE),and laser damage testing was performed.The typical damage was defects-initiated.The main impurity element was platinum from the Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometer(GDMS) analysis,and the content of it was about 0.9%.The numerical simulation result of laser damage was found to agree well with experimental data.