To deliver services effectively, social workers need to understand the reality of the lives of both parents and adult children with ASD, as well as understanding the QOL and caregiver burden with which the parents are living.

This handbook offers a comprehensive examination of wide-ranging issues relevant to adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Coverage includes a detailed review of such issues as psychiatric comorbidity, family relationships, education, living in different settings (e.g., group homes, community), meaningful and effective interventions, functional goals (e.g., social, language, vocational, and adaptive behaviors), and curriculum. In addition the book provides unique perspectives of parents as well as individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who have reached adulthood. Key areas of coverage include: Transitioning adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder from educational settings to vocational settings. Strategies that can help create independence for adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Effective approaches to address issues relating to sexuality for adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The effectiveness of early intensive behavioral intervention to help adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Handbook of Quality of Life for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder is an essential reference for researchers, professors, and graduate students as well as clinicians, therapists, and related professionals in clinical child and school psychology, social work, behavioral therapy and related disciplines, including clinical medicine, clinical nursing, counseling, speech and language pathology, and special education.

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand, as a lived experience, the parents’ quality of life (QoL) with young adult children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) residing on a college campus. In addition, this study helped understand parent experiences related to factors about transition and their QoL. For parents of adult children with ASD in a college residency setting, many stressful and challenging times were attributed to their child living outside the home, which ultimately impacted parental stress and the parents’ QoL. The theory guiding this study is the Schlossberg Transition Theory (1981), and the 4 S Transition model of assimilation and appraisal was used to conceptualize the framework. The central research question for this study was designed to understand the lived experiences of parents with young adult ASD children living in a college residency setting and the impact stress and transition had on their QoL. The research sub-questions were designed to understand better parenting a young adult child with ASD and the significant challenges as resources and support systems were limited. A transcendental phenomenological approach was used for this study, and data collection included questionnaires, semi-structured individual interviews, and a single focus group interview. Data analysis was manually collected and included bracketing, open coding, and thematic analysis. The analysis yielded four major themes: Relinquishing Control, Fear of the Unknown, Evolution Within Transition, and Campus Support. In addition, findings from this study also revealed how to support families with adult children affected by autism and enrich the education of professionals who work with them in higher education.

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand, as a lived experience, the parents’ quality of life (QoL) with young adult children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) residing on a college campus. In addition, this study helped understand parent experiences related to factors about transition and their QoL. For parents of adult children with ASD in a college residency setting, many stressful and challenging times were attributed to their child living outside the home, which ultimately impacted parental stress and the parents’ QoL. The theory guiding this study is the Schlossberg Transition Theory (1981), and the 4 S Transition model of assimilation and appraisal was used to conceptualize the framework. The central research question for this study was designed to understand the lived experiences of parents with young adult ASD children living in a college residency setting and the impact stress and transition had on their QoL. The research sub-questions were designed to understand better parenting a young adult child with ASD and the significant challenges as resources and support systems were limited. A transcendental phenomenological approach was used for this study, and data collection included questionnaires, semi-structured individual interviews, and a single focus group interview. Data analysis was manually collected and included bracketing, open coding, and thematic analysis. The analysis yielded four major themes: Relinquishing Control, Fear of the Unknown, Evolution Within Transition, and Campus Support. In addition, findings from this study also revealed how to support families with adult children affected by autism and enrich the education of professionals who work with them in higher education.

First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Bringing together international academics and professionals who are actively researching and working in the field, this pioneering scholarly volume covers the issues faced by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) in mid and later life. Including a range of personal, academic and clinical perspectives, the book considers historical and contemporary perspectives on autism, including diagnosis, developmental outcomes and life course issues. Attention is given to medical, care and psychological issues that arise as people with ASD age, such as declining cognitive function and speech and communication issues. Family, community support, housing, advocacy, and socio-cultural considerations for older adults with ASD are also given careful consideration, and there are chapters on relationship and sexuality issues and on environmental design.

The present study defined the stressors that the participants, who are parents of children who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), experience in their day to day life, identified the participants' descriptions of their quality of life (QoL), defined main areas where resources are lacking, and examined the recommendations that the participants had for other parents of children who have been diagnosed with an ASD and social workers working with ASD families. The present study's findings provide that the participants identified themes that define their major stressors as their children's school system, lacking resources in the community and among their own family, financial implications of their child's diagnosis, parents' reactions to their diagnosed child's behavior, impact of having a child diagnosed with an ASD on family dynamics and worrying over their diagnosed child's future. The need of the participants that emerged in the present study were the need for the following: available resources, reconstruction of their child's education system, and financial assistance. The present study found that the participants' recommendations for other parents and social workers working with ASD families were that service providers need better ASD knowledge and that easy access to available resources must be created.