title: Decision-making difficulties experienced by adults with autism spectrum conditions.
abstract: Autobiographical and clinical accounts, as well as a limited neuropsychological research literature, suggest that, in some situations, men and women with autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) may have difficulty making decisions. Little is known, however, about how people with ASCs experience decision-making or how they might best be supported to make decisions for themselves. In this study, we compared the decision-making experiences of adults with and without ASCs (n=38 and n=40, respectively) using a novel questionnaire and the General Decision Making Style inventory (GDMS, Scott & Bruce, 1995). The participants with ASCs reported experiencing several problems in decision-making more frequently than the comparison group, and were more likely to report avoidance of decision-making, as measured using the GDMS. The findings highlight areas of potential future research and inform suggestions for supporting adults with ASCs during decision-making.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK. lrl25@cantab.net
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luke
authors.forename: Isabel C H
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Clare
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ring
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Redley
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Watson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires