Decision-making difficulties experienced by adults with autism spectrum conditions.
Expect decision avoidance in adults with ASCs and probe explicitly during assessments.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Luke et al. (2012) asked adults with autism spectrum conditions to fill out a survey. They wanted to know how often these adults avoid making decisions.
The team compared their answers to those of neurotypical adults. They looked at how often each group said they dodge choices in daily life.
What they found
Adults with autism said they run into decision trouble more often. They also reported skipping choices more than their peers.
The study points to decision avoidance as a real, self-reported hurdle for this group.
How this fits with other research
Guiberson et al. (2014) seems to disagree. They showed that autistic teens need extra evidence before choosing, a style called circumspect reasoning. The teens do not avoid; they dig in deeper. The gap makes sense when you note the age shift and the lab task versus a survey.
Sasson et al. (2018) adds another layer. Autistic adults are more risk-averse yet can flip to rational picks when the payoff is clear. This hints that avoidance may rise only when stakes feel fuzzy or subjective.
Knaier et al. (2023) pulls many studies together and finds a pattern: basic reward learning stays intact, but value-based and metacognitive choices trip autistic adults up. Lydia’s survey lines up with that metacognitive trouble.
Why it matters
If you assess or coach adults with ASD, do not assume they lack skill. Ask directly about avoidance, then break big choices into clear, low-risk steps. Offer visible payoff odds and give processing time. These tweaks can turn avoidance into active, confident choosing.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Autobiographical and clinical accounts, as well as a limited neuropsychological research literature, suggest that, in some situations, men and women with autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) may have difficulty making decisions. Little is known, however, about how people with ASCs experience decision-making or how they might best be supported to make decisions for themselves. In this study, we compared the decision-making experiences of adults with and without ASCs (n=38 and n=40, respectively) using a novel questionnaire and the General Decision Making Style inventory (GDMS, Scott & Bruce, 1995). The participants with ASCs reported experiencing several problems in decision-making more frequently than the comparison group, and were more likely to report avoidance of decision-making, as measured using the GDMS. The findings highlight areas of potential future research and inform suggestions for supporting adults with ASCs during decision-making.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2012 · doi:10.1177/1362361311415876