Spectrum Perspectives

Jessica Weaver- Pink Fix Money- Financial Advisor for Women

Jessica is a Financial Advisor, author and public speaker. Her “Pink Fix Money” blog says she is “not your father’s advisor”. She specializes in helping women to plan for their future and take control of their finances. Since there is an 80% divorce rate among Autism families it’s very important for women to understand the finances in their home and know how to pay the mortgage and bills and to know what’s in their bank account.

Mike Ringel-Financial Advisor for Special Needs Families

Mike is a CPA and financial advisor specializing in helping families with a child with Special Needs. He talks about helping families plan financially for their child’s future, including the do’s and don’ts of what to do.

Jane Tiboni-Special Needs Wills and Trusts, Special Needs Attorney

Jane is an attorney specializing in Special Needs wills and trusts. She walks listeners through the process of declaring legal guardianship of your Special Needs child when they turn 18 to protect them, and potential things that could go wrong if you do NOT declare guardianship.

Jen Slaton-Therapist, Autism 360 Support

Jen is a therapist who has been working with the Autistic community since the ‘80’s. She worked as a Behavior Consultant who went into the home to work with the whole family, combining her skills as a psycho-therapist and behavior therapist. Currently she helps families and autistic adults through virtual coaching through her business "Autism 360 Support". She talks about ways to handle melt downs, angry outbursts and when the child goes into crisis mode.

Hester Wagner- Hollywood Film School for Special Needs

Hester Wagner helps people with Special Needs learn how to make film. She is the Director of Film and Media Services for the Futures Explored Practical Film and Media Studio in California. They do hands on and vocational training for people with developmental disabilities and run Summer film camps They are partnered with John Travolta’s brother Joey Travolta, who was originally a Special Ed teacher and now runs Inclusion Films. They do a red carpet premier of the films that the campers have created in the Fall. The adults who attend the school learn job skills to actually get a job working in the film industry. Check out the website at Futures-Explored.org

Eliza Silver-East Coast vs. West Coast services for Special Needs

Eliza is the mom of four, and her oldest son is Autistic. She is from New Jersey and her husband is from California, so they moved back and forth from the West Coast to the East Coast several times. She compares services in both states and says she had more things covered there and was even getting paid to stay home and care for her son in California, but it’s not available in New Jersey. Now she works virtually helping California families to navigate the system and get the support and services they need.

Barbara Vartanian- Special Needs Dentistry- Part 2

When the doctor gave Barbie her son's autism diagnosis, they said “You’re going to be divorced within 6 months.” Eventually she did end up divorced, left California and moved to New Jersey where she lives now. She is working as the director of policies for NYU division of Oral Health, which is the largest dental school in the country. She says that schools are now required to teach future medical professionals how to work with the Special Needs community. She is creating a curriculum helps to increase access for oral care for the Special Needs community, and helps to train future dentists to be familiar with people with Special Needs. They have a 12 chair clinic where patients can come, and she also helps people to navigate insurance.

Barbara Vartanian-Special Needs Dentristry- Part 2

When the doctor gave Barbie her son's autism diagnosis, they said “You’re going to be divorced within 6 months.” Eventually she did end up divorced, left California and moved to New Jersey where she lives now. She is working as the director of policies for NYU division of Oral Health, which is the largest dental school in the country. She says that schools are now required to teach future medical professionals how to work with the Special Needs community. She is creating a curriculum helps to increase access for oral care for the Special Needs community, and helps to train future dentists to be familiar with people with Special Needs. They have a 12 chair clinic where patients can come, and she also helps people to navigate insurance.

Blake Baumann-ASPIE-R Autistic life coach for others on the Spectrum

After Blakes son was diagnosed with Asperger's (Autism) he too was diagnosed. He made a career change from being a VP in Tech to becoming a life coach to help others on the spectrum. He mentions the alarming rates of depression, bullying and unemployment, so Cindy asks what to do with kids who just sit in the basement and play video games all day! He has his clients take a look at what their beliefs are arbout themselves, their independence and their lifestyle, and works on their mindset. He says it's important for them to not only work on their physical self care, but also their mental self care as well. 
We invited Blake to do a breakout session at a retreat and he gave very helpful advice to parents. You can view the video on our Robbie's World YouTube channel. 

Melissa Doman-Sleep Expert for Special Needs Families

A very common problem for kids on the Spectrum is trouble sleeping through the night. Many parents will tell you that 3:00 am is a common time for them to wake up and be wide awake and full of energy. As a result most parents are exhausted. In this interview we talk with Melissa Doman who is a Sleep Specialist who works with families of children with Special Needs including Autism who helps them with getting their kids to sleep at night. Find her at MellisaDomanSleepConsulting.com