A Financial Literacy Course for Postsecondary Students with Intellectual Disabilities (Practice Brief)

Historically, individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) were limited in the amount of assets that they could earn. However, the enactment of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act in 2014 provided for significant increases in the amount of earnings and savings allowable. Many of these individuals are capable of saving money and building assets, yet often do not have financial skills. Furthermore, transition-age students with ID also lack the self-determination skills needed to direct their life decisions effectively. Specifically, they lack the nine components of self-determination that include: problem-solving, choice-making, decision-making, goal-setting, self-regulation, goal-attainment, self-efficacy, self-awareness, and self-advocacy. This practice brief describes a financial literacy course within a postsecondary transition program that incorporates financial literacy content taught through the lens of self-determination theory.