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Examining the Relationship Between Self-Determination and Quality of Life in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

Promoting self-determination (SD) in youth with disabilities is positively related to better post-secondary outcomes, such as employment and independence. Despite extensive research into SD and quality of life (QoL) for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the relation between the two has not been examined for young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability (ID). The aim of this pilot study was to examine the relationship between two complementary measures of SD, namely the Arc’s Self-Determination Scale (Wehmeyer and Kelchner 1995) and the AIR Self-Determination Scale (Wolman et al. 1994), and QoL for young adults with ASD without ID. Thirty young adults with ASD without ID living in Canada completed self-report questionnaires of SD and QoL. Correlational analyses indicated that two measures of SD were significantly associated with QoL. Regression analyses revealed that individuals with higher SD scores reported higher perceptions of life satisfaction. Thus, SD, assessed by two complementary measures, was found to be positively associated with QoL. Subsequent research should further elucidate the association between SD and QoL and examine how best to promote SD as a means of enhancing the QoL of young adults with ASD as they transition into adulthood.

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Acknowledgements

This project was made possible through funding from the Max Bell Foundation to the second and third authors. We would like to thank our participants and stakeholders in the larger research study. Thank you to our dedicated facilitators Janet Bang, Victoria Doobay, Roberta Konen, Amanda Saxe, and Céliane Trudel, research assistants Mélissa Ferland, Ana Maria Gonzalez Barrero, and Jesse Burns, and stakeholder event coordinators Valérie Martin and Jillian Mills for their efforts. We appreciate the collaboration of the CRDI-TED de Montréal, Dawson College, and Inspirations Newspaper in our recruitment efforts.

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White, K., Flanagan, T.D. & Nadig, A. Examining the Relationship Between Self-Determination and Quality of Life in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Dev Phys Disabil 30, 735–754 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-018-9616-y

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