Quality of life as a mediator between behavioral challenges and autistic traits for adults with intellectual disabilities

A multiple mediation model was proposed to integrate core concepts of challenging behaviors with autistic traits to increase understanding of their relationship to quality of life (QoL). It was hypothesized that QoL is a possible mediator between the severity of challenging behaviors and autistic traits in adults with intellectual disability. These constructs are of vital importance because they are essential variables for people with autism, and obviously they influence their psychosocial development. Participants were 70 adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and moderate intellectual disabilities (ID). Results indicated that several dimensions of QoL mediated the relationships between autistic traits and challenging behaviors. The dimensions of QoL, Satisfaction, Competence/Productivity, and Autonomy/Independence are mediators between autistic traits and challenging behaviors. Implications of these data are discussed.