Parental perceptions of the oral health-related quality of life of autistic children in Saudi Arabia

The aim of this study was to use parental perception to assess the Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) of children with Autism. A total of 59 families of children with Autism who had an unaffected sibling were cross-matched for age and gender of the affected child with families with no autistic children. The parents were administered the Parental Perception Questionnaire (P-CPQ) and the Family impact scale (FIS) components of and Arabic version of the Child Oral Health Related Quality of Life questionnaire (COHRQL). The P-CPQ scores of Children with Autism were compared with those of their unaffected siblings and those of children from families with no autistic child, while the FIS scores were compared between families with and without an autistic child. Regression models were constructed to show the association of sociodemographic factors on the OHRQoL of autistic children. The results of this study seem to suggest that childhood autism results in a reduced OHRQoL for both the affected child as well as the family. The apparent reduced parental concern with unaffected siblings of autistic children, when compared to parental concern towards children in families with no autistic child is an area that could merit further research.