An educational money management program for undergraduate students with intellectual disabilities: A pilot study

Area of Science:

• Occupational therapy
• Special education
• Financial literacy

Background:

• Money management skills are crucial for independent living.
• College students with intellectual disabilities often require targeted support for financial literacy.
• Occupational therapy can address practical life skills, including financial management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a technology-based money management skills program for undergraduate students with intellectual disabilities.
• To assess the program's impact on financial concepts and application within an occupational therapy framework.
• To explore the effectiveness of novel quantitative questionnaires and established assessments in measuring changes in money management skills.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving three undergraduate students with intellectual disabilities.
• A six-week program with twice-weekly sessions focusing on financial concepts and technology-based activities.
• Pre- and post-intervention assessments using a novel quantitative questionnaire and the money management section of the Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills (KELS) Assessment.

Main Results:

• Participants demonstrated improvements in money management skills as measured by the KELS Assessment.
• Scores on the novel Likert-questionnaire also indicated enhanced perceptions of money management abilities post-intervention.
• The study provides preliminary evidence for the positive impact of the program.

Conclusions:

• The technology-based money management program shows promise for improving financial skills in college students with intellectual disabilities.
• Occupational therapy practice can effectively incorporate financial literacy interventions.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to establish statistical significance and generalize findings.