Development of an autism-specific quality of life assessment for use with autistic adults

Autistic adults have described a poorer quality of life (QoL) than their non-autistic peers. Contributing factors include decreased mental health, limited opportunities for employment and education, and fewer social relationships. Autistic people make up 32% of all national disability insurance scheme participants, and many seek support from health professionals to assist with these needs. The goal of health clinicians working alongside autistic adults is to improve QoL, but how do we know if we are achieving this?

This research project aimed to co-produce and develop a pilot autism-specific quality of life tool for use with autistic adults.

The main finding of this project is that for autistic adults QoL is unique and is often impacted by factors other than those measured in traditional QoL assessments.