Brenna Maddox, PhD
AIR-P Scholar, Cohort 2 (2021-2022)
About
Project:
Identifying the Constructs for an Autistic Quality of Life (AQoL) Measure
Institution: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Project Overview
Summary:
The study aims to understand and define Autistic Quality of Life (AQoL) from the perspective of autistic adults, identifying factors that contribute to AQoL and its impact on their physical health.
Methods:
Funded for its initial phase, the research involved coding and analyzing open-ended survey responses from 159 autistic adults who described their perception of a high or good quality of life.
Results:
The insights gathered are expected to guide the creation of a brief, accessible tool for AQoL assessment, useful for both self-evaluation and clinical contexts.
Conclusions:
This work, driven by input from the autistic adult community, will significantly shape the development of targeted supports and services to enhance AQoL in both health research and practice.
Project Mentors and Contributors
Becca Lory Hector, CAS, BCCS, Christina Nicolaidis, MD, MPH, Teal Benevides, PhD, MS, OTR/L