Brief Report: Parent-Reported Problems Related to Communication, Behavior and Interests in Children with Autistic Disorder and Their Impact on Quality of Life.

Øien et al. (2016) asked mothers of children with autistic disorder to fill out a survey. They wanted to know which child problems—talking, behavior, or narrow interests—hurt the mothers’ own quality of life most.

The team also checked if mothers of boys answered differently from mothers of girls.

Mothers said child communication trouble, difficult behavior, and rigid interests all dragged down their quality of life.

The survey showed small differences between families of boys and girls, but the main message was the same: more child problems, more parent strain.

Lee et al. (2008) ran a similar survey eight years earlier. They compared autism families to ADHD and typical families and found autism hurt quality of life the most. Roald’s work keeps the parent-view lens but drops the comparison groups, giving a plainer snapshot.

Ding et al. (2017) asked the kids themselves. High-functioning autistic youth rated their own quality of life higher than their parents rated it for them. Roald only asked moms, so the two studies fit together: parent pain does not always match child pain.

Melegari et al. (2025) zoomed in on specific co-occurring problems like sleep and conduct issues. They showed that different problems matter at different ages. Roald’s broader list of “communication, behavior, interests” now looks like a starting map that later studies split into finer detail.

If you only track the child’s progress, you can miss the parent who is burning out. Use Roald’s three trouble spots—communication, behavior, interests—as a quick parent-stress screener. When any area spikes, add parent support, not just child goals. A ten-minute check-in can steer families away from crisis and keep treatment on track.