Predicting the financial wellbeing of autistic adults: Part I.
Autistic adults feel better about money when they save and avoid debt, no matter the size of their paycheck.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Cai et al. (2024) asked autistic adults across Australia to fill out a survey about money.
They wanted to know what makes some autistic adults feel better off than others.
The team looked at income, saving habits, and debt to see which best predicted financial wellbeing.
What they found
Lower income and poor money management were linked to worse financial wellbeing.
Autistic adults who saved even small amounts and avoided debt felt healthier about money.
The diagnosis alone did not predict money stress; day-to-day habits mattered more.
How this fits with other research
Gandhi et al. (2022) studied the same Australian adult group and found most live with family or need support and have few friends.
Ying’s money results extend that picture: poor social inclusion and poor financial health travel together.
Billstedt et al. (2011) saw that autistic adults can still report high overall quality of life despite needing daily help.
The two studies seem opposite, but they measure different things. Eva asked about life satisfaction; Ying asked about money stress. You can feel okay about life yet still worry about bills.
Why it matters
When you write transition plans, add money goals next to job goals. Teach simple saving rules like “put five dollars aside each pay.” Check if the adult has a safe bank account and a way to track spending. Small habits beat big incomes: even part-time earners felt better when they saved and skipped debt.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Researchers have found the way people feel about their financial situation is related to their quality of life. We know that many autistic people find it hard to find a job. And for those autistic people who have a job, they are often underpaid. Not having a job or being underpaid often means having low income. Having low income is likely to influence how autistic people feel about their financial situation. However, no research has looked at these issues for autistic people. This is the first study that helps us learn more about what autistic adults think about their financial situation. We looked at autistic people's thoughts on this issue compared to people from the general Australian population. We also looked at what things might impact how autistic people feel about their financial situation-which might be how much money they earn, what they do with that money, and their mental health. Many autistic adults felt they were struggling with financial wellbeing and this was connected both to the level of their income and how they said they managed their money. Those who were able to save and not borrow for everyday expenses reported feeling a greater sense of financial wellbeing. Concrete changes might help to improve autistic people's financial wellbeing. We need to investigate how we can help autistic people find and keep well-paying jobs. And we need to work out the best ways of equipping autistic people with the skills they need in financial matters.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2024 · doi:10.1177/13623613231196085