Abstract:
The ability to manage one’s personal finances is an indicator for success and autonomy among adolescents preparing for adulthood. Accessing and spending money allows an individual to participate in preferred social and recreational activities within the community. For individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), however, personal finance skills that afford opportunities for community participation are hindered by the limited adaptive skills associated with having ID and increased reliance on family and staff. These limiting factors can diminish an individual’s self-determination and overall quality of life. The United States Department of Health and Human Services and The World Health Organization both identify the need for technologies that can improve accessibility in communities for individuals with ID. Therefore, this study used a multiple-probe design to examine the effectiveness of a video-modeling intervention, delivered through an augmented reality application, for teaching youth with ID to perform personal finance skills in their community. Results of the study show the intervention was effective for teaching the participants to withdraw money from an ATM and to pay for items using a debit card. Additionally, three of the four participants found the intervention to be a socially acceptable method for accessing instruction while in the community.
