MEASUREMENTS OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND IN THEIR FAMILIES WITH THE HELP OF PEDSQL TM
MEASUREMENTS OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND IN THEIR FAMILIES WITH THE HELP OF PEDSQL TM

Summary/Abstract: Introduction: The purpose of the study presented here was to show how the children with autism and their families evaluate their quality of life compared to children and families without autism. The questionnaire PedsQLTM 4.0 considering the physical health score and age score, answered by children as well as parents, was employed as the principal research tool for the determination of the quality of life. The questionnaire PedsQLTM 2.0 designed for the parents was furthermore used, which is focused on the Family Impact Module (FIM), and in which they evaluate the situation in the family on the scale including the score of the family function and age score. Methods: Fifteen families having children with autism spectrum disorders, aged 2 to 18 years, participated in the research. The fifteen children with the health handicap included seven girls and eight boys. The average age in children with autism was of 9.53. In healthy children considered for a comparison, it was of 11.7. Total of 120 questionnaires were completed. Results: The results demonstrated that in the group with autism, a lower score, i.e. a worse quality of life was always detected. There was no statistically significant difference between 7-days and one-month versions of PedsQLTM 2.0. Conclusion: The PedsQLTM 4.0 questionnaire demonstrated considerable differences between children with autism and healthy children. These results should be taken into consideration in evaluating needs of these children and their families.

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