Interpersonal relationships in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability

People with severe and profound intellectual disabilities, and especially children and adolescents within these groups, have received little attention in research. This study assesses the interpersonal relationships of 55 people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID). We applied the KidsLife Scale (Gomez et al., in press) that assesses quality of life. The highest scores were obtained for those items related to communication, while the lowest ones were found for those related to social interactions. Additionally, people with profound ID obtained significantly lower scores than those with the highest levels of functioning. A discussion about the implications of the study is provided as well as some specific recommendations for bettering professional and organizational practices for the purpose of improving quality of life.