Abstract:
Little is known about the quality of life of Filipino mothers of children with disabilities.
The purpose of this study is to determine the quality of life of mothers of children particularly
with autism and their relationship with their children.
This study made use of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quality of life was
assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment instrument
(WHOQOL-BREF) that particularly measured the dimensions of physical health, psychological
health, social relationships, and environment. The quality of the relationship of the mothers and
their children was assessed using the Positive Affect Scale. Semi-structured in-depth interviews
were conducted to better understand the situation of the mothers. Participants of this study were
purposively selected through institutions serving persons with the particular disability.
Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 19 while the themes and patterns
found in the qualitative data were combined to create categories. It was found that mothers of
children with autism have relatively moderate quality of life. On the other hand, their
relationship with their children was reported as good. At the end of this study, recommendations
were made for future research on this field.
