Predicting the financial wellbeing of autistic adults: Part I

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Cai, R. Y., Hall, G., & Pellicano, E. (2023). Predicting the financial wellbeing of autistic adults: Part I. Autism, 28(5), 1203-1215. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231196085

Publication date: 4 Sep 2023 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
3
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 3 (33.3%)
  1. Ru Ying Cai
  2. Gabrielle Hall *
  3. Elizabeth Pellicano

Abstract

Many autistic adults are likely to experience poor financial wellbeing and hardship due to unemployment and under-employment. Research in the general population demonstrates that subjective financial wellbeing—how people perceive their financial situation—influences quality of life. There is no research, however, examining the subjective financial wellbeing of autistic people. This study therefore aimed to (1) understand the subjective financial wellbeing of a sample of autistic adults living in Australia compared to a general Australian population sample and (2) identify the predictors of subjective financial wellbeing in this sample of autistic adults. To this end, 191 autistic adults aged 18–83 years (mean = 39.28, standard deviation = 11.74) completed an online survey about their economic status, financial wellbeing, financial behaviors, confidence in money management skills, and anxiety and depression symptoms. Almost half of our sample felt it was a struggle to make ends meet, whereas only one-third of the general Australian population felt this way. Similar to the general population, autistic people’s income and their financial behaviors (specifically, saving and not borrowing for everyday expenses) predicted their sense of financial wellbeing. Our findings have implications for both research and practice. Lay 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.

Bibliography cited by this reference

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Bibliography inclusion overview

These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:30.

Cited references
63
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
2 / 63 (3.2%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
5 / 154 (3.2%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 5 / 60 (8.3%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 5 / 137 (3.6%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
60 / 154 (39.0%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 45 / 137 (32.8%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
55 / 60 (91.7%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 55 / 154 (35.7%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 40 / 45 (88.9%).
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