Child and Adult Factors Related to Quality of Life in Adults with Autism

The WHO Quality of Life-Brief questionnaire was used to assess quality of life (QoL) among 52 adults with autism (mean age 49 years) followed-up since childhood. Overall, assessments of QOL were more positive than measures of objective social outcome (jobs, independence, relationships etc.) but correlations between caregiver and self-reports were low. Informant ratings indicated few correlations between current QoL and any child or adult factors. On self-report ratings, QoL was significantly negatively correlated with severity of repetitive behaviours in childhood; higher QoL was positively associated with better adult social outcomes. However, only a minority of adults (n = 22) could provide self-report data and findings highlight the need to develop valid measures for assessing the well-being of adults with autism.