Understanding of basic financial concepts among adults with mild learning disabilities

• Published in: British journal of clinical psychology Vol. 45; no. 2; pp. 261 - 266
• Main Authors: Suto, W. M. I., Clare, I. C. H., Holland, A. J., Watson, P. C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-06-2006; British Psychological Society
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adults; Attitude; Biological and medical sciences; Child clinical studies; Clinical psychology; Decision making; Developmental disorders; Female; Financial management; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Learning disabilities; Learning disabled people; Learning disorders; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Quantity concept; Severity of Illness Index; Social policy; Socioeconomic Factors; Concept; Human; Decision making; Quantity; Cognition; Comprehension; Experimental study; Money; Number; Learning disability; Cross sectional study; Intellectual deficiency; Intellectual ability; Autonomy; Financial data
• ISSN: 0144-6657; 2044-8260
• DOI: 10.1348/014466505X50176

Objective. In the context of recent legal and social policy developments, which encourage clinicians to support vulnerable adults in making their own financial decisions, we explored understanding of basic financial concepts among adults with mild learning disabilities.
Method. Using the literature about typically developing children, five measures entailing identification and ordering tasks were devised and were used to examine understanding of quantity, numbers and money among 30 men and women using specialist clinical services (mean FSIQ = 61.80; SD=10.59).
Results. The concept of quantity was easier to understand than those of numbers and money, and task difficulties increased with the magnitudes involved. The different types of conceptual understanding were closely related.
Conclusions. These measures may be useful for analysing difficulties in, and informing interventions to maximize, independent financial decision making.