Goal Attainment Scaling and Quality of Life of Autistic Children Receiving Speech and Language Therapy in a Higher Educational Institution in the Philippines

Abstract

Objectives. This study aimed to describe the demographic profile, intervention sessions, goal attainment scaling (GAS), and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of autistic children receiving speech and language therapy (SLT) in a higher educational institution in the Philippines.

Methods. Deidentified data from 18 autistic children aged 4–16 years (mean=8.2; SD=2.9) who received SLT for two months were analyzed. Their demographic profile, intervention sessions, GAS scores, and generic HRQOL scores were documented.

Results. Most participants were school-age children (n=12; 66%) and were boys (n=14; 78%). After two months, the GAS scores of 11 participants (61%) increased by 1–2 points, whereas the scores of the remaining participants decreased (n=6; 33%) or did not change (n=1; 6%). Their mean generic HRQOL scores before and after SLT were 65.6 (SD=15.2) and 61.2 (SD=17.4), respectively.

Conclusions. While the GAS scores increased for most participants, their generic HRQOL scores did not show clinically significant changes after two months of SLT. This can be attributed to the few therapy sessions and short follow-up period. The findings highlight the need to provide long-term support to SLT services of autistic children in the Philippines to document more desirable quality of life outcomes.