Predictors of quality of life for fathers and mothers of children with Autistic Disorder

• This is the first study to focus on predictors of QoL for fathers and mothers of children with Autistic Disorder.
• The analyses revealed that only parental distress was a significant predictor for both parent's QoL.
• Difficult child's characteristics, household income, and number of siblings were able to predict only mothers’ QoL.

A constant challenge for Quality of Life (QoL) research is tapping the most predictive indicators for a specific population. This study has sought to examine predictors of QoL for fathers and mothers of children with Autistic Disorder. Two multiple regression analyses were performed for fathers (N = 70) and mothers (N = 114) of children with Autistic Disorder. Six predictors were entered into the regression equation: Parental Distress (PD), Parent–Child Dysfunction Interaction (PCDI), Difficult Child Characteristics (DC), Household income, and the child's with Autistic Disorder age and number of siblings. The analyses revealed that only PD was a significant predictor for both parent's QoL, whereas DC, household income, and number of siblings were able to predict only mothers’ QoL. To our knowledge, this is the first study to focus on predictors of QoL among both fathers and mothers of children with Autistic Disorder. The results from the current study can have several implications for professionals and researchers targeting the primary force contributing to the wellbeing of children with Autistic Disorder, the parents.