Parental Educational Intervention For Adaptive Behavior and Quality of Life of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of a parental educational intervention on adaptive behavior and quality of life among children with autism spectrum disorder. Specifically, the study assessed changes in adaptive behavior and quality of life following parental education and training.

Methodology: A two-group quasi-experimental design was used. A total of 90 participants were included and divided equally into an intervention group (n=45) and a control group (n=45). Convenient sampling was used. The intervention consisted of structured parental education focusing on communication skills, daily living skills, socialization, behavior management, and physical activities, with home-based activities and parental support. The control group continued standard therapeutic measures. Adaptive behavior was assessed using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS), while quality of life was assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics.

Results: The intervention group demonstrated improvement in all assessed adaptive behavior domains. Communication increased from 18.55 ± 6.19 to 18.91 ± 5.89, daily living skills from 19.91 ± 4.90 to 22.48 ± 4.35, social skills and relationships from 19.26 ± 5.31 to 21.22 ± 4.37, and physical activity from 19.37 ± 5.10 to 22.35 ± 4.07. The overall adaptive behavior score increased from 77.11 ± 20.13 to 84.97 ± 15.36. Improvements were also observed in quality-of-life domains, including emotional, social, and school functioning. The overall quality-of-life score in the intervention group increased from 26.35 ± 3.14 to 26.77 ± 3.57. Within-group changes were statistically significant (p<0.05). Some outcomes the numerical improvement was greater in the control group. The findings do not consistently demonstrate that parental educational intervention produced greater improvement than standard care.

Conclusion: The study indicates that children with ASD showed improvement in adaptive behavior and quality of life during the study period, including improvements in communication, daily living skills, social functioning, physical activity, and school functioning. Parental educational intervention may therefore be a valuable component of comprehensive ASD care by providing parents with practical strategies that can be incorporated into everyday family routines.