If you are caring for a loved one with autism or another intellectual and developmental disability, it can be overwhelming to navigate through fear and other emotions to create a plan that ensures your loved one is cared for and supported.
Emily Wood, Partner and Chief Client Officer at Connecticut Wealth Management (CTWM) sat down with Lisa Candera, founder of The Autism Mom Coach (TAMC), to discuss actionable strategies that help parents work through their emotions so they can make decisions and take action to benefit their child. In addition to TAMC, Lisa is a lawyer and Chief Compliance Officer at Cigna Investments, a certified life coach, and a full-time single mom to a teenage son with autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and anxiety.
For parents raising kids with autism, there can be an overwhelming amount of information out there, yet it can often feel like there is little support. This is why Lisa created The Autism Mom Coach, a 1:1 coaching program specifically designed for parents who are raising kids with autism.
“As a parent of a child with autism or another disability, you are your child’s greatest resource,” said Lisa. While feelings of fear and uncertainty are normal, Lisa teaches special needs parents a powerful framework to help them to understand and process their emotions so that they can better support the unique needs of their child.
Using the think-feel-act cycle, Lisa helps their parents understand that they are more powerful than they think and can control the thoughts, feelings, and actions of any circumstance in life.
For example, let us look at the circumstance of a special needs child turning 18:
- A common thought is thinking that your child will not have continued access to the benefits and services they need to thrive.
- This thought often translates to feelings of being overwhelmed, intense fear, and uncertainty.
- Strong emotions like this can turn into inaction, such as avoiding doing research or contacting professionals who can help.
The result of all this is that you are not prepared for what comes next after your child turns 18. Lisa’s framework helps parents to identify what is “the next right decision” by empowering them to control their own thoughts, feelings, and actions around a particular circumstance so they can continue to support their child.
Download this free workbook from The Autism Mom Coach to take the next step toward creating the results you want for your loved one with autism or other special needs.
The think-feel-act cycle parallels nicely with the financial planning industry. By partnering with the right financial advisor, you can identify future goals for you and your loved one, providing the clarity needed to create a plan that not only unlocks your success, but also the success of your loved one.
To talk with one of our financial advisors about special needs planning, please contact us at 860-470-0290 or by filling out the contact form.