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

Abstract

This pilot study evaluated a money management skills program for students within the scope of occupational therapy practice. Three undergraduate students with intellectual disabilities attended sessions twice weekly for six weeks, learning financial concepts and applying knowledge through technology-based activities. The students were nonrandomly selected through a program that works to support college students with intellectual disabilities. Perceptions of money management skills pre- and post-intervention were assessed using a novel developed quantitative questionnaire. The Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills (KELS) Assessment (money management section) was used to score and assess the participants’ money management skills using descriptive indicators. The results demonstrated improvements in KELS Assessment and Likert-question scores from pre- to post-program implementation. Further research should be conducted to draw significant statistical conclusions on the effectiveness of a technology-based money management program for college students with intellectual disabilities.

Keywords

intellectual disabilities money management program undergraduate students technology

Introduction

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) defines intellectual disability as a neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in an individual’s childhood and impacts their social and conceptual development as well as everyday living skills (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). The prevalence of individuals diagnosed with an intellectual disability from 1990-2019 was 107.62 million (1.74%) (Nair et al., 2022). Individuals with intellectual disabilities experience challenges with the ability to complete everyday tasks, such as social interaction, education, employment, and activities of daily living (ADLs) (Agarwal et al., 2021; Borilli et al., 2022; Fisher et al., 2017).

In the United States, approximately 21% of undergraduate college students have an intellectual disability (National Center for Education Statistics, n.d.). Postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual disabilities center their curriculum on providing skills needed for independence in their daily lives and for engaging in activities and occupations that allow them to become more assimilated into educational and career-based communities (Agarwal et al., 2021). Students with intellectual disabilities often face challenges with the completion of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), which are functional skills that support daily life both inside and outside of the home environment (AOTA, 2020). Examples of IADLs aligned with the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Fourth Edition include health management, home management, driving, grocery shopping, and money management (AOTA, 2020). A cross-sectional research study examined family-reported outcomes for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and the most common skills that these individuals faced challenges with include the following: organizational management tasks, family and social interaction, and maintenance of emotional well-being (Borilli et al., 2022). Consistent with the literature, students with intellectual disabilities within this university’s program face challenges with managing personal finances, social interaction on campus, increasing confidence in personal goal achievement, and technology use.

The use of technology for financial management presents a challenge for students with intellectual disabilities due to its complex nature and rapidly changing mechanisms for use, and thus impacting the development of personal financial skills for this population because of the expectations being placed on technology use within society to achieve independence. An individual must develop organizational methods required to keep track of personal finances and budgeting to incorporate the use of technology platforms to pay bills and manage personal funds.

The lack of money management and technology education currently for students with intellectual disabilities limits opportunities for these students to develop independent living skills. Money management skills can be some of the most complex IADLs to develop due to the combination of personal management, mathematics, and organizational skills needed to manage personal finances (Kang and Chang, 2019). When students with intellectual disabilities are in their adolescent/young adult years, they begin to learn foundational skills supporting the development of money management with limited technology use. A gap exists between developing these foundational skills in adolescence and building upon them in adult years because technology is becoming increasingly more prevalent for financial management. Most universities are not providing students with intellectual disabilities education needed to manage personal finances or use technology, so increasing the number of money management programs for students with intellectual disabilities in higher education can benefit them for increasing financial skills needed in society. They can achieve independence through the ability to create and maintain an appropriate budget, as well as successfully make transactions and build credit through electronic banking (Kang and Chang, 2019).

Gaps exist within the literature to fully support the needs and opportunities of this population. More research is needed on incorporating emerging technology systems, how to expand interactive learning for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and how emerging technology platforms can directly support money management education for college students with intellectual disabilities (Goo et al., 2019). The aim of the present study was to determine if a technology-based money management program improved money management skills for undergraduate college students with intellectual disabilities.

Method

Participants

The sample was composed of three adults with an intellectual disability diagnosis according to DSM-5 (APA, 2013). The age range was 18 to 35 years (3 male; M age = 26.67). Four inclusion criteria were established. The first criterion was being an undergraduate student at this university. The second criterion was being 18-35 years of age. One participant worked part-time and took public transportation to campus while the other two did not work and were dependent on transportation. Attrition did not occur in this study. Table 1 shows sample characteristics.

Table 1.

Sample characteristics.

	Students N = 3
Gender
Male (%)	3 (100)
Female	0
Nonbinary/Other	0
Age range
18-25 (%)	2 (66.67)
26-30	0
31-35 (%)	1 (33.33)
Primary speaking language
English (%)	3 (100)
Other	0
Job
Part-time (%)	1 (33.33)
Full-time	0
Neither (%)	2 (66.67)
Mode of campus transportation
Transportation from self	0
Transportation from others (%)	2 (66.67)
Public transportation (%)	1 (33.33)
Walking	0
Lives on campus	0

Note. % Percentage of N Sample.

Procedure

Students enrolled in the undergraduate program were contacted and participation in the study was offered during an informative session at a lunch group. Informed consent was obtained from the three participants after the informative session. This research study was a group pretest-posttest design, which focuses on the manipulation of variables at two different points in time, the incorporation of outcome measures, and the incorporation of a research question without the factor of randomization to recruit participants (Harris et al., 2006).

Money management educational program intervention

The primary author developed and implemented a six-week technology-based money management program grounded in the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP) model and the Developmental Frame of Reference to improve money management skills for undergraduate college students with intellectual developmental disabilities. The PEOP model focuses on how the factors of the person/client (including physical, social, emotional, and cognitive) and the environment impact the client’s ability to perform a specific occupation (Baum et al., 2015). This model supported the participants’ ability to engage in the IADL of money management through incorporating technology to improve their independence. The Developmental Frame of Reference focuses on how development happens in various stages based on factors applying to the individual and whether they have been able to master one skill to move on to the next skill (Llorens, 1976). Within the program, participants began by developing basic budgeting skills and then began applying the skills developed through examples and activities after basic concepts had been mastered.

Participants attended twice weekly two-hour educational sessions in a hybrid format. Each session contained education on a specific money management topic, practice activities, and knowledge checks on the specific topic. Each session began with content being introduced via PowerPoint presentations, allowing the participants opportunities to engage in the material and ask questions if needed. Once the material was discussed, participants then completed electronic knowledge checks and activities to reinforce the concepts learned each session. Participants also had opportunities to apply their knowledge of financial concepts on the university’s campus by practicing specific skills, such as using an automated teller machine (ATM) or completing purchases using a mobile device. Table 2 includes a summary of the session topics.

Table 2.

Timeline of the program.

Week (sessions)	Topics	Tasks accomplished
1 (1 & 2)	Program introduction, introduction to budgeting	Pretest questionnaire administered, introduction to program given, introduction to budgeting concepts, technological activities and knowledge checks completed, first administration of KELS assessment
2 (3 & 4)	Opening a bank account, managing electronic banking	Opening a bank account PowerPoint, managing electronic banking PowerPoint, technological activities and knowledge checks completed
3 (5 & 6)	ATMs, writing checks	ATM PowerPoint, writing checks PowerPoint (also focused on balancing checkbooks), technological activities knowledge checks completed, on-campus practice with learning how to use ATM
4 (7 & 8)	Making on-campus purchases using electronic devices	Making on-campus purchases PowerPoint, technological activities and knowledge checks completed, on-campus practice with purchasing food items using mobile device
5 (9 & 10)	Budgeting for transportation needs	Budgeting for transportation needs PowerPoint, technological activities and knowledge checks completed, interactive case study scenarios completed
6 (11 & 12)	Making off-campus electronic purchases, program conclusion	Making off-campus electronic purchases PowerPoint, technological activities knowledge checks completed, program conclusion and group discussion, second administration of KELS assessment, posttest questionnaire administered

The materials required for the implementation of this program included PowerPoint slides created for each week’s topics one to six, conference room with computer and large screen for program implementation, Kahoot knowledge checks on each of the topics discussed, computers and/or mobile devices of the participants to participate in the activities, campus ATM, KELS Assessment materials (money management section only), and pre- and post-test questionnaires. Instructions for all group lectures and activities were provided both verbally by the primary author and/or within the PowerPoint slides for each session.

Measures

Participants completed two pre- and post-test measures in this study. The first was a Likert-scale questionnaire developed by the primary author and reviewed by the secondary authors to determine participant perceptions of money management skills before the start and after completion of the program. Each question contained ten five-point Likert scale questions with the following categories: (5) strongly agree, (4) agree, (3) neither agree nor disagree, (2) disagree, and (1) strongly disagree. The pre-test questionnaire included five additional demographic questions to define the sample. The post-test questionnaire included five questions to evaluate the feasibility of the program.

The second outcome measure was the KELS Assessment (money management section) used to assess participant money management skills before and after completion of the program. In this assessment, participants complete three sections of money management tasks and receive a score of “independent” (0 points) or “needs assistance” (1 point), resulting in a total score ranging from 0 - 3 with lower scores indicating higher independence (Kohlman and McGourty, 1978). The psychometric properties include an interrater reliability of r = 0.74-0.98, which is considered adequate to excellent, and a concurrent validity of r = 0.78-0.89, which is considered excellent compared to the global assessment scale (Kohlman and McGourty, 1978; Mercer et al., 2019). Although the KELS Assessment was not created specifically for individuals diagnosed with an intellectual or developmental disability, it was selected due to its adequate psychometric properties, relevance to the study, and the age range of the selected population. This outcome measure assessed money management skills using numerical scores for each participant individually pre and post.

Ethical considerations

The research study was formally approved by the University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to recruitment. The IRB approval number is 74-23.

Data analysis

The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used to analyze all data and outcome measures. The totals of the pre- and post-test Likert questionnaire responses and KELS Assessment were calculated to draw conclusions about the program. The means were recorded for the pre- and post-test Likert questionnaire results to summarize total scores out of 50.

Results

The results showed improvements in the Likert-scale question scores for all participants and the KELS Assessment scores for two out of three participants. The total possible Likert-scale question scores were out of 50 points. All participants’ Likert-scale question scores increased from pre to post. Participant A’s total score increased from 44 to 45 out of a possible 50 points, demonstrating the lowest increased score of 1 point. Participant B’s total score increased from 25 to 31 out of a possible 50 points, demonstrating the highest increased score of 6 points. Participant C’s total score increased from 44 to 46 out of a possible 50 points, demonstrating an increased score of 2 points. The mean of the total pre-Likert-scale question scores was 37.67 and the mean of the total post Likert-scale question scores was 40.67. Participants A and C began the program with high perceived confidence levels in their money management skills reported through the questionnaires, while Participant B began with a lower perceived confidence level. Participants A and C demonstrated a notable ceiling effect within the post-test results given increased levels of reported confidence in the pre-test results. Figure 1 displays pre and post-test Likert-scale question scores for each participant.

The KELS Assessment’s scoring rubric states a score of 1 on a task within the Money Management section indicates increased assistance needed and a score of 0 is increased independence, leaving a total score that can range from 0-3 since there are 3 tasks within this section (Independent Living to Needs Assistance) (Kohlman and McGourty, 1978). Any score other than 0 indicates assistance is needed for this skill (Kohlman and McGourty, 1978). Participant A’s total KELS score remained the same at 2 with no change in points, and a final score of 2 indicates the participant needs assistance with money management. Participant B’s total KELS score decreased from 3 to 2 with improvement by 1 point, and a final score of 2 indicates the participant needs assistance with money management. Participant C’s total KELS score decreased from 2 to 0 with improvement by 2 points, and a final score of 0 indicates the participant is independent with money management. Figure 2 displays pre and post-test KELS scores for each participant.

Program feasibility

Overall, the program was implemented effectively with all planned topics of discussion and activities completed in correspondence with the program’s timeline. No major challenges or technological setbacks occurred during program implementation, and support was provided to the participants to complete all activities as needed. All participants attended at least eight of the twelve sessions, with two of the participants attending all twelve sessions. Five program feasibility questions were included in the post Likert-scale questions for the participants to answer based on overall program satisfaction. All three participants answered all program feasibility questions with scores of (5) “strongly agree” or (4) “agree,” indicating overall satisfaction of the program. In the final session of the program, participants were asked if they would willingly complete the program again and if they would recommend the program to others. All participants answered yes to both questions. Table 3 below displays each of the program feasibility questions included in the questions and how many participants answered “strongly agree” or “agree” for each one.

Table 3.

Program feasibility questions of post-test questionnaire.

Program feasibility questions	(5)	(4)
1) The program allowed me to increase my knowledge on money skills	1	2
2) The program allowed me to have hands on practice with money skills	1	2
3) I Found the program to be interactive and engaging	2	1
4) Overall, I enjoyed the program	1	2
5) I Would recommend this program to others who would like to learn more about money skills	1	2

Note. (5) = Strongly Agree, (4) = Agree, (3) = Neither Agree nor Disagree, (2) = Disagree, (1) = Strongly Disagree.

Discussion

Although all participants’ perceived confidence in their money management skills and the assessment scores of two out of three participants’ demonstrated improvement, the results were not statistically significant enough to draw the conclusion that the program was effective overall in improving the money management skills of the participants. The strengths of this study included the participants’ willingness to engage in all activities, their interest in the topics presented, and their willingness to provide feedback on implementation, that resulted in overall program satisfaction. The results from this study align with existing literature because they lay a baseline foundation to this topic and provide the opportunity to expand upon research for future studies aligned with the improvement of money management skills for students with intellectual disabilities to increase independence in daily living.

The results of a simulation and community-based instruction research study showed that students with intellectual disabilities were able to increase their ability to complete financial transactions after being provided simulated instruction and activities to enhance basic financial skills (Barczak, 2019). Knowledge about financial management and responsibility for personal finances contributes to an increased level of independence and security for individuals, and learning ways to improve spending and saving habits within educational settings can help students develop adequate financial habits through simulated and community practice (Barczak, 2019). A different study that utilized game-based interventions to target the development of ATM financial skills in three participants with intellectual disabilities resulted in all participants demonstrating improvements in their ability to apply the steps of using an ATM through successful completion of the augmented reality (AR) game (Kang and Chang, 2019). The results of each study coincide with the results of the money management program because the participants in the study were provided instruction, interactive activities, and simulations that target different areas of financial management. After being provided with the curriculum for each session, they were given opportunities and support to apply the skills learned, which contributed to the improvement in performance scores with both outcome measures completed from pre- to post-program implementation.

Limitations

This research study included two major limitations. The first limitation was the small participant size (n = 3), which resulted in limited ability to generalize the results as a population using inferential statistics. The second limitation was the notable ceiling effect present in the questionnaire scores for Participants A and C. Both participants began the program with highly perceived confidence levels in their financial skills, leaving little room for improvement in the post-test scores. These limitations contributed to the ability to draw statistically significant conclusions regarding the results of each of the outcome measures leading to overall program effectiveness.

Future research directions

These results can lead to opportunities for future studies focused on the incorporation of money management education to students with intellectual disabilities. To expand upon research and increase opportunities to yield more results of statistical significance, it is recommended that students with intellectual disabilities from additional universities be offered the program with intent to expand the likelihood of gaining more participants. A greater sample size for a similar research study could be beneficial in utilizing inferential statistics to yield more significant results. Increasing the sample size would also be beneficial in future research to perform tests of statistical significance with intent to create results that are more generalizable to the population. The intervention should be conducted in future research by having multiple investigators leading the program at different universities and/or facilities where college students with intellectual disabilities are permitted to take 100-level or greater college-level courses. Both pre- and post-outcome measures should be performed within each program with deidentified data being compared by investigators to determine notable results of statistical significance. With a greater overall sample size, a Wilcoxon-Signed Rank test could be performed to identify generalizable results if n > 10.

Broadening research for money management programs to support students with intellectual disabilities can lead to expansion within both higher education and the profession of occupational therapy because they work to help populations with increased vulnerability find ways to increase independence in everyday activities. This also aligns with the American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA) Vision 2025 because practitioners are working to advance education, practice, and research to support the incorporation of client-centered participation in ADLs to maximize overall health and well-being for the individual (AOTA, 2024).

Conclusion

The interactive technology-based activities contributed to the engagement of the participants, reinforcing the content introduced in each of the program sessions. The results of this research study aligned with the project’s purpose, which was to implement an effective program in improving money skills in students with intellectual disabilities. Notable improvements in KELS and questionnaire scores indicate need for future research direction to continue drawing conclusions about whether or not technology-based programs are effective in improving money management skills for students with intellectual disabilities. The participants reported program satisfaction through completion of the feasibility questions presented in the post-test questionnaire. All participant responses in the program feasibility questions reported increased levels of program satisfaction, engagement, and recommendation for program continuation.

Footnotes

Declaration of conflicting interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iD

Carmela B. Ataviado

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