Mom Autism Money

Sara Bradford is an Autistic woman with an Autistic family. Everyone from her husband to her two children are on the spectrum.

Living in Utah, Sara has been uniquely equipped to navigate the state’s difficult and often inadequate systems for her autistic family, and even still has faced exclusion at various point...

What happens when a financial planning firm is both Autistic-centered and Autistic-owned?

Planning Across the Spectrum is what happens.

Planning Across the Spectrum is a full-service financial planning firm that can help you do all the traditional things like plan for retirement, establish life insurance to take care of your children after you’re gone, and manage your i...

On top of completely changing the trajectory of an entire industry by bettering animal welfare in corporately-owned settings, Temple Grandin is also a huge financial literacy advocate. And today, she’s joining us to talk about the best way to teach financial literacy skills to your Autistic child.

We’ll talk about an array of different topics including:

This week we're talking all things ABLE accounts! From eligibility to qualified disability expenses to using your ABLE account as a tax-advantaged investment vehicle, we've got you covered.

Joining us to discuss these accounts is Mary Rubenis, VP of Client Relationship Management and ABLE Savings at Vestwell. Vestwell is the program administrator for ABLE accounts in 20 states. But today's episode is for everyone -- regardless of w...

Today we’re back with researchers from Drexel’s Autism Institute to explore the intersections of race, poverty, and health outcomes for Autistic kids. They covered this topic in their 2022 National Autism Indicators Report.

Some of the findings you might have predicted, like the fact that no matter how much income you make, societal structures around race may negatively impact your health o...

Average student loan debt is nearly $40,000 -- per person! This economic burden can massively impact all the other money moves you make in your life. 

Luckily, there is a disability discharge program for federal student loans, and more people qualify than you might think. Plus, the program is getting a lot easier to navigate, with some big, positive changes promised starting in July 2023. 

Today, we'll talk to Heather Watkins, a wr...

No joke – Sheletta Brundidge has secured $200,000 in grant funding for her Autistic children’s needs.

And today, she’s going to help you learn how to get some of that grant money regardless of your child’s disability. You can use this money to fund therapy and healthcare needs, on top of everyday needs like weighted blankets, trampolines, fences, and home security systems. We’ll talk about ...

We are joined once again by Paul Curley, and he comes bearing NEWS! The ABLE Age Adjustment Act has finally made it into a bill. Now, it just needs to make it into law. 

Upping the age of onset of disability from 26 to 46 means about 7 million more people would qualify for ABLE accounts, including one million veterans. A larger pool of eligible account holders means lower fees on ABLE accounts and more bargaining power in Washingto...

Today on Mom Autism Money, we learn that Joyce has a cleaning habit. It helps her relieve stress.

But what about the rest of us who maybe aren’t super on top of it? We’re talking to Corinne Schmitt of Wondermom Wannabe to learn her strategies to stay organized. It’s all about hacking your brain to make things easier.

Corinne uses a color-coded organization system to keep herself and her five children organized. This simple system i...

Today we're talking with Corinne Schmitt of Wondermom Wannabe about money mindset and teaching financial literacy for children.

We'll delve into a lot of topics, but some of the things you'll hear us discuss are Corinne's scaffolding for teaching financial literacy to children, why it can be hard to teach your kids about investing when you don't feel confident in it yourself, and how to develop an abundance mindset even when you're...

Today we talk military life, finances and Autism with Rich Davis. Rich retired after a 28-year career in the US Navy as a helicopter pilot. He and his family reside in Roanoke, Virginia where he volunteers with his church, as the education coordinator for a local museum, and where he is involved with the local art scene as a photographer. He has an adult son with autism who lives with he and his wife and works in the community.

We'...

Join us today for a conversation with Arianne Garcia and Dr. Kristina Lopez about Autism in the Latino community.

This is part two of a two-part episode. Listen to Part One aired last week if you want to catch up!

Today, we’ll be talk...

Join us today for a conversation with Arianne Garcia and Dr. Kristina Lopez about autism in the Latino community.

This is part one of a two-part episode. Be sure to subscribe to Mom Autism Money on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts so you won't miss part two when it drops next Tuesday.

Today, we'll be talking primarily about Autism diagnoses in the Latino community, and the systemic obstacles that prevent people from acces...

Welcome to part two of our retirement planning discussion with Brenton Harrison and Joe Saul-Sehy! 

This week we'll cover: 

• Annuities.
• Sheltering your investments from asset tests.
• How ABLE accounts & supplemental needs trusts fit into the equation.
• Life insurance for parents of disabled children.
• Finding the right financial advice for your unique situation.

 

Listen to part one of this conversation: https://momautismmon...

This week, we're talking about retirement planning with Joe Saul-Sehy, co-author of Stacked and co-host of the Stacking Benjamins podcast, and Brenton Harrison, financial planner.

In week one of this two-week discussion, we cover: 

• The basics of tax-advantaged retirement accounts -- and why Roth IRAs may be particularly attractive to the resource-thin.
• Similarities and differences between target date funds, index funds and ETF...

Today on Mom Autism Money, we sit down with Blake Baumann of Aspie-R Coaching. Blake is a life and success coach that specializes in working with young adults and teens with Asperger's. As a parent of  two young ASD adults as well as being on the spectrum himself, he understands personally the struggles that are faced by both autistic individuals and parents.

Blake shares great, actionable ideas to help prepare your kids for commun...

In this week's episode of Mom Autism Money, Dena Gassner teaches us the ins and outs of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Your state's office of vocational rehabilitation can provide funding for job training, college, and even entrepreneurship. Dena has used her VR office to secure nearly $20k in startup funding for her own business, and used it to facilitate her son's college education.

This programming can be immensely helpful, but you'...

Applying for SSI or SSDI is a daunting process that’s anything but transparent. The system is set up for you to fail, and as a result a lot of people eventually just give up.

Today, we sit down with social work expert Dena Gassner, who presents her proven system for successfully applying for SSI/SSDI – without getting a lawyer. She educates us on the seven criteria Social Security is looking for (but won’t actually tell you about) ...

Join Joyce & Brynne as they sit down with Shalese Heard, AKA The Autistic Travel Goddess, to discuss online entrepreneurship and travel.

Shalese shares her innovative tips for traveling on a budget, along with travel tips for Autistic individuals. We learn about ways to fund your new business when you're Autistic or otherwise disabled, and why entrepreneurship is so vital to the Autistic community. We also discuss some of Shalese's...