HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AS AN OUTCOME MEASURE FOR AUTISM INTERVENTION

Abstract

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting communication, socialization, and behaviour. There are many interventions for children with autism, such as behaviour management, communication intervention, diet modification, and sensory integration. While some clinical interventions are empirically based, many are not evidence-based. It is difficult to compare and evaluate treatment efficacy as different treatments have varying outcome measures. The objective of this paper is to propose the use of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) as an outcome measure for autism intervention. The paper outlines the relationship between autism and HRQOL, autism intervention and outcome measures, and why they use of HRQOL is an ideal outcome measure for any autism intervention