Predictors of quality of life for autistic adults.

The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot show that employment, relationships, support, mental health, or social communication impairment caused better or worse quality of life. 78.4% completed the measures unaided, and 84.6% of the 337 participants who reported age at diagnosis were diagnosed in adulthood, so findings may not apply to autistic adults with intellectual disability or those diagnosed in childhood. The sample included 31 participants who were awaiting assessment or suspected they were on the autism spectrum, and the study did not confirm diagnoses or mental health conditions. 18 adults had a proxy responder, less than 5% of the sample, which may not fully capture subjective quality of life. Participants were recruited through diagnostic services, voluntary organizations, social media, and word of mouth, so the sample may not represent all autistic adults. Support and employment variables were broad, so the paper cannot say what kind or amount of support mattered. The comparison with UK norms was descriptive because the original UK data were not available for formal comparison.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that employment, relationships, or support will raise quality of life. The study measured these factors at one time point, so they may be associated with better quality of life rather than cause it.