Stellar Talk Show!

Autism: A Financial Outlook

• Stella Ram • Season 1 • Episode 12

Share episode

Send us a text

In celebration of World Autism Awareness Month, this episode of The Stellar Talk Show dives deep into the intersection of financial literacy, personal empowerment, and autism advocacy.

🌟 I’m your host, Stella Ram—REALTOR®, talk show host, and proud autism mom. Joining me is a truly inspiring guest, Hem Bhatt, a Financial Coach & Mentor with over 20 years of experience working with community partners, families, and individuals with disabilities. Hem brings both compassion and strategy to the table—helping families establish lasting financial security while navigating the unique challenges of autism.

💡 Together, we unpack vital questions like:
✨ What is autism—beyond the diagnosis—and why is financial planning so essential?
📊 How have autism trends evolved, and what do they mean for today’s families?
💰 What financial tools, government programs, and grants are available in Ontario?
👨‍👩‍👧 How can parents plan for therapies, future independence, and long-term care?
🧠 And most importantly—how can the pursuit of financial freedom lead to personal transformation?

💬 Hem shares deeply valuable insights from his personal journey, his work as a board member for Waves of Changes for Autism, and his mission to help families thrive—not just financially, but holistically.

Whether you're a parent, caregiver, educator, or ally—this episode is packed with actionable advice, uplifting stories, and empowering messages.

🎧 Tune in now to take your first step toward clarity, confidence, and community support.

🔗 Listen on your favorite platform!
📩 Have a question or want to connect? DM us or visit StellarProperties.ca

Support the show

hello and welcome to Stella Talk Show I'm your host Stella Ram realtor entrepreneur and someone who believes that success is not just about what we achieve but about how we uplift others along the way On this show we dive into meaningful conversations that inspire educate and empower As a mother of a child diagnosed with autism at 3 and 1/2 years old I understand firsthand the journey of navigating resources advocating for support and finding ways to create the best possible future for my child That's why I am particularly excited about today's episode which is releasing in time for World Autism Awareness Month Today we'll be focusing on the incredibly important topic financial planning for families impacted by autism Financial stability can play a huge role in ensuring children getting access to the support therapies and resources they need To help us unpack this vital conversation I'm thrilled to introduce our special guest Hem Bart Ham is a dedicated financial coach a mentor and a has a rich background in accounting project management and financial services As a regional vice president in the financial services industry Ken has spent over 20 years working closely with community partners to provide valuable financial planning tools and resources for families and individuals As a passionate advocate for autism awareness he has been an active volunteer board member at Waves of Changes for Autism and an oversight committee member at Autism Ontario His mission is to empower families by educating them on building financial security and achieving personal freedom Hi welcome to the show Thank you so much for inviting me It's an honor to have you here Just to start off I'd love to hear like what inspired you in this journey to get involved with financial planning for families with autism So it all actually starts from my own journey So when my daughter was born back in 2003 and uh March 2004 she was only 3 and 1/2 months age and she got diagnosed with leukemia So she was at the sick kids hospital and they were treating her and her leukemia was very aggressive form Oh So she had to stay there for backto back chemotherapy cycles and she got four of them in total Mhm And when she came out of the hospital she was only 8 months Oh So um you can imagine that the the first thing is that well when you have a child who gets diagnosed at so early age you are trying to figure out so many things at the same time That's true So when she got discharged uh then after we obviously had to follow up with the sick kids for her appointments and and so on Mh But at the same time we also started discovering so many challenges which kind of started happening with her health Mhm And that was as a result of the chemotherapy I would say U just because she had so many toxins in her body at a very young age Yes So she had many different symptoms like severe eczema Uh her different abilities for things which she can and cannot do Uh she didn't have much physical strength either at the same time Yeah So we were working on different aspects And then at that point the the team of early intervention they got engaged with our family because they wanted to make sure that all kind of support she should receive she is receiving and at the same time when she was going to be four um obviously there to make sure that the transition to the school was smooth as well at the same time Yes So we kind of started learning about uh the services and support and all those things but then we I also came to the real realization that there's so many things out there uh but you can't find them under one spot right so there's no such place where I could go and then I can say that you know this is where I can go and this is what I can look for and I I can get everything out of it which didn't happen Yeah So but then um I started raising that as a concern I mean not not a complaint but as a concern that this is something I think something we something some sort of system should be in place for the families like us And then at the same time the early intervention uh this who was actually working with my daughter she basically said you know why don't you speak to the group of parents cuz it seems like you guys have so much knowledge So they basically invited me and my wife to do so and we started speaking and then um there was nothing behind that pro process like the thought process was that uh how can we help others what we know and how how can we empower others with the knowledge what we have gained Yes Um so then we just started kind of getting involved in the community in that sense Uh we were also involved with the sick kids because every time when they had any child who comes to the hospital now they have to stay in the hospital parents are so frustrated so devastated and then they call us and then they they always ask us to speak to the parents over the phone Yes Which we did as well And uh my dad is a I mean he was a private lender and he always taught us good concepts about the finances Mhm my wife's dad uh has done PhD and uh he was a director at the at the university as well So we both come from the background where our our upbringing was very solid in terms of the finances and I think uh that's why when uh when I came out of the school I never come out of the school with the debt and uh because I was able to save money I understood the concepts and so forth Yeah So fast forward when this whole situation we were going through then I became more interested to learn about the finances and the same thing with my wife as well and then we both decided to kind of get our professional licenses and then you know that's how it becomes more legal just to advise anyone yes on any aspects so that's where it actually whole journey began and we both basically came in it uh my wife got her licenses first and then I got my licenses and then since then we both were working in the community So that actually came through the broader spectrum because then we started working with the families for all type of families But when it comes to this side of of the the world where uh people have individuals especially children who are who has some sort of medical condition uh form of disabilities or autism or anything Mhm That's when we became started becoming more passionate about it because I I kind of realized that too that what the parents are going through when they even as little as like that they have they have a newborn they're working that they are super excited happy right and all of a sudden they try try to find out that you know my my child is not able to do certain things compared to his or her age yes that's when everything starts it's a roller coaster right so it's the emotional right for most parents and they tend to forget at that point well how to keep up with the finances That's that's absolutely right and that's very inspiring him that how you took that know challenge that you had in your life with your newborn and turned it into something that is very beautiful now inspiring other families educating other families who are navigating the same journey kudos to you amazing and I have to say like you know as you know my son was also diagnosed when he was 3 and 1/2 years old and as you mentioned like you know at every stage of growth like then you one day you realize And then your family starts to know hint on it and the people start to you know point out stuff and then you start doubting yourself and then you have to take that journey of having that evaluation done and then when you get that diagnosis it's a hit on the face Yes Right It's like you know until my son was diagnosed and I was introduced to this whole world of autism I had no idea Yeah And you know I felt bad about that So having that journey giving that assistance to parents as you mentioned when they are like introduced to this this pace in their life that is very empowering Yes Thank you Yeah And appreciate that you're taking the time to do that And um just to break down what autism really is right just to have that understanding so we can break the stigma um and you know why it's crucial for families to understand it from both emotional and financial perspect What is your input there so I would say that what people need to know I mean in me like in the process working in the community and also I'm a speaker at many different government agencies and I provide my seminars and workshops and talks and all those things I always tell parents about this that when you hear about this diagnosis I totally get it that you have no idea what it is right cuz um back then if I just kind of share some numbers with you if you go back to 2006 Mhm there was one child of out of I would say 110 were diagnosed with autism Okay Fast forward in 2021 um we had almost 66 So one came out as an autism Right now as we speak it is one out of 36 Oh wow Wow So now obviously that number has grown and it has been increasing over the last many years which is a concern globally not just Canadian right but what I'm saying to you still people don't know what it is and I think most of the time u people don't take it seriously in a way that well how I should adopt this how I should accept it um in my opinion autism is nothing else but it's just the neurological and developmental condition which is a spectrum Mhm Um which basically what happens with the individuals that their ability to interact with people ability to learn different things right and kind of those things they they have different challenges Now because I said it's a spectrum every child is different when it comes to it And many of times I had a conversation with parents about don't compare your child who has an autism with someone else's child with the autism because you will not get anything out of it cuz your child is unique It's just like any other typical person right they're all different We all have different abilities different skills different adaptability level of understanding learning everything is different Same rule applies with them But then it becomes more challenging for them because they also struggle with the expression right so with the communication So the way they receive information the way they can express information is a little bit different M so I always tell parents that listen what you need to do is in the early stage of your child as soon as you get the diagnosis you need to work with your children so carefully and so closely because the first thing you need to do is you need to build the confidence in your child cuz they are struggling as is in certain areas you don't want that to turn into depression yes you don't want that to turn into something else where you know what I don't know this and I can't open up about this and there are different forms Some some individuals have mild autism some have very aggressive form some are high functioning right so they're all different labels it comes with But at the end of the day the parents are the biggest advocate of the child because they are living with them and they they can understand way more than anybody else That's true So regardless of what other people have to say other people have to talk about your children even at the school when they start going into the school or start going out in the community You have to be the biggest pillar of the confidence for them It's an extension of it while they are still building it Yeah Oh that's true That's true That's absolutely right Hamman Because I went through that journey myself like you know getting my kid into the school I have to be his voice I know the main reason I got into the the parents community or parents committee in the school is because I wanted to be that voice that who speaks out for these kids not only my son but anybody who's in the spectrum because right now if you take a school there's at least one kid in one classroom who's on the spectrum and it's a huge thing that you know other kids understand why that kid is the way he or she is accepting them for who they are and building that friendships they crave that but they're not able to engage in that is true right so that is very inspiring and I just want to also ask like you know in the beginning for parents it's always like the acceptance is a really hard part yes but the as early intervention is very important for the kid early planning on the financial end is also very important for the parents to plan for a better future for that child yes right so in that aspect what are your uh advice or thoughts I would say that think about the shortterm midterm and the long term right because it's very important that when it comes to finances there are three ways you have to look at it there are certain things which you need immediate and you need the finances for it you need the funding for it uh there are certain things are mid-range so that that's something you're planning for something which is you're expecting something you're forecasting and something the third part is the long term Yes So longterm means well it's almost when let's say you are aging as parents you are going to retire you're going to slow down right um parents will pass away what happens to the child's financial future so it comes in the phases and then that's how families should look at it so when I say shortterm so let me just kind of break it down let me dissect into these three different ways shortterm means that well what what is your child's need now and what can you get towards it so what kind of support can you get from the community uh what kind of funding you can get from the federal provincial or any private organizations Uh so though that's something is very important to navigate and then depending on your child's age depending on your family's income that's how now it kind of narrows down right it's the short term Yeah The midterm is literally it's the combination of both So why I said both which means the well something you have to rely on the federal provincial aspect but something comes to your self-reliance as well So there are certain age where especially when your child turns over 18 then things changes in terms of the funding right so that's something you have to keep in mind and you have to just kind of plan for it but at the same time start putting few things aside for your children um and considering what's available in terms of the grants and bonds which comes in the form of that uh from the federal government sometimes from the provincial and whatnot So then that's how you kind of start creating that future Mh And then long-term is uh how are you planning yourself in terms of the tax and estate planning Mhm So you need to protect your family with the insuranceances You need to protect your family by saving more money Yeah uh you also there are a couple of programs available by the government where you can just kind of open that up and then you just start saving money for your child who is on a spectrum and start receiving grants and bonds So in the event now when you slow down one of the parents passes away when both parents passes away you are going to leave significant money behind so your child will be taken care of financially Yeah Oh that's amazing cuz you might have families extended families or you might have close families or friends They're ready to take care of your children when you're not able to or when you're not Mhm leaving Right So what I'm saying is uh at that point yes they have a desire to do so but they need money for it Yeah Of course Of course So that's why the planning is very important Yeah So that you know as a parent of a child with autism that is one of my biggest fears too when I talk to my husband that was that is a conversation that we actually get really drained out of like what's next for my son right so that planning uh that is very important and I believe the early on that you plan is the better the outcome is that is true that's so correct yeah so and we know so in this so what would you advise a family that who has been diagnosed recently or newly diagnosed where should they start first well first they need to sit sit back and and think about where they stand currently financially right and then the goal should be where they want to see themselves in 10 15 20 30 years So what I always talk about is it's almost like you're you're let's say you want to drive from here to California and you sit in your car What do you do first you look at GPS you plug in the direction and then you want to see okay how long it will take for you to get there Yeah um are there any detours like if if any construction or anything is happening because you want to get there on time you don't want to get lost right so kind of that thing so when it comes to finance is the same thing that well yes wherever you are you are today you can change that right in the moment but if you have a plan to follow then definitely that whole plan can get you where you want to get there that's true so that's the first thing they need to do and then what we call in our our industry is the financial needs analysis Mhm So financial needs analysis is about like almost 15 pages document Mhm And this document talks about the entire your financial household all areas of financial household whether you're looking from the protection side which comes in the form of different types of insuranceances or we are looking to get rid of your debt which is debt management investing money for your retirement for your children's education for your children's future um or establishing yourself a real power for attorney all those things So it captures every single piece of information in that plan and then it tells you like where is the gap so you know that okay if you want to let's say have x amount of dollars at age 50 at age 55 60 but you will not have it if you continue doing what you're doing now right so it gives you the shortfall basically every single pages it shows you the shortfall and the most important thing it gives you is the f number which we call financial independence number cuz if anyone wants to retire u generally speaking when I meet with my clients and I ask them okay what age you want to retire and they always tell me like out of nowhere 65 I'm like why 65 oh because then that's what everyone talks about I'm like well that's that's not the case you can retire at any point you want but why you can't retire sooner because you don't have money to leave off the financial planning as well Exactly Right If just imagine that you have enough money to leave off every single year Mhm You will retire now Right Absolutely So So that's that's how it comes down to So I always talk about that part So that's the first step that evaluate your own situation your own finances and then it there should be a plan and then once you have that plan now right away we just start dissecting into what is going to help you to get there Yeah most definitely That's that's really wonderful that you shared that with me So when we talk about early intervention uh for kids that who've been diagnosed very early on or whenever that they do go through that phase um it's very crucial Yes Yeah Because the the earlier that you intervent the the better the results are like hopefully they can find out what they need more so they can look at focus on that areas but these therapies very expensive Yes like you know I I have I have personally myself gone through ABA therapy speech therapy um etc And you know it is for a for average family it's a huge financial burden Yes Right Um so in it's great that we have the financial planning for the for the you said as you said midstream and the long term but in the beginning it's a struggle for families So as a realtor myself and as also an autism mom I have seen families go through a very hard turn on financials um to make sure their kids get the best in their growth I have seen people sell their home take their money and you know go rent and spend it on therapy I have seen people use their equity they pull out the equity to spend on therapy and they plan it because they want they don't want to do it shortterm you want to do it long term because that's where the results come in So these no when you look at the big picture do you think there should be more concentration given to support these families uh families in the big uh in the government end or in the public end and you know how we can be a part of support there So I mean the way I look at it is uh first of all besides this financial aspect every family they should know about the different process of you know like how they can just get through what's available out there Mhm So it all comes down to how well versed you will be in navigating those services Yes Right Is very important And um again like I said in the beginning that the real challenge is that you can't find everything at one spot right so you have to really kind of go through like so many different things so many different agencies so many different maybe websites and all those yeah it's overwhelming it's very overwhelming and then still people don't understand most of the time okay where to start or what can I do and then even if they start like there are many many different services available Um and I I'll tell you if you really understand it Mhm then you have funding available for your child because your child totally deserves it right because it's it's for for those services for those situation But until you don't step up and you don't look for it government is not coming to you that okay you know what hey this is what your ch your son has your daughter has let me just kind of send a representative from the government and sit down with you and then make you understand everything So I think that's why it is very important that we bring more awareness in the community by providing uh different ways of communication uh different ways of activities so people know more about it I mean what I do is when I meet with the families the first thing I just kind of look through their overall situation Mhm Some they're all some families I have seen that they both make good money Some families I have seen that well maybe one of the parent has quit their job just because they can focus on the child Like you me mentioned I have sat down with families who owned a home They sold their house and now they have been renting so that they can afford to pay for those therapies Um and then in many times I have seen that well they have like they have children more than one child who has autism or some sort of other disability Yes So not only they're struggling with one but they're struggling with multiple children Right So it all comes down to that So once I do that then I just help them navigate everything because then I just narrow down everything based on their age factor their income factor their situation finances the the size of the family and then that's how now they can get through everything what they really are entitled to and uh that's how they become strong financially So um I would say in terms of the support side um there is still lot of awareness required okay there are still lot of initiatives required by the government by the by the community and so forth and that's why I think I became passionate about it more when I I got involved in this nonprofit charity because I I understood you know it's totally like work doing it and uh I just love doing I become more and more passionate about it day after day day after day And then all we do is we just go out in the community and then we just do different activities We raise funds and we we give it back to those families Right That's beautiful There's no financial interest for any of us It's just nonprofit So we just do it Yeah Um and then based on my involvement in the community then I got involved now with Autism Ontario as well And then that's how I just provide my expertise to them as well That's amazing That's amazing Um him that's that's very inspiring and also it's beautiful that what you are doing with this um with this charity that you're involved with Um I want to also talk about the research like you know do you have any insight or like experience working with this research uh in autism awareness and diagnosis so I do uh and uh there are many many researches are done so far Um if you go back 20 years ago there wasn't that awareness in the in the community or 30 years ago Yeah Um there wasn't even much support like like I said even today we struggle to kind of you know like uh bring that awareness Now I would say though like there are lot of compared to last 5 10 years there are lot of families they're aware of it even though they do not have someone in the family now because the numbers are increasing and rising um by leaps and bounds Um what's happening as well that if someone who does not have a child in the family with autism but they have someone in their family like extended family so maybe their brother or sister or cousins you know what I'm saying or maybe someone at the work or someone in the community so there are families out there who knows at least one family I can say with confidence that who has a children like a child with autism So that is a good part but at the same time what they don't understand is what it takes to raise a child who has an autism Yes And from both aspects like physically how involved like you have to get involved with the child's development uh financially emotionally Um so that part is missing still Um and I remember that if there are children let's say if I think of like 10 years ago 15 years ago and they go out in the community um like quite a quite a few times I I I noticed that people kind of look at those children they keep noticing those children Not that they they they just want to do it but they couldn't understand like why this child is behaving like this right or why this child is interacting like this and so on But now it has become so normal Mhm Now nowadays I see that you know what people look at it and they don't bother about it like they they know they know that something is there They know that that's the awareness and so on So the research has done a great job in bringing that awareness I would I would say because there are a lot of things in the news as well uh like in the local news in the in the you know national news and then nowadays like people are so savvy with internet as well so they find the information um but there are a lot of researches happening even at the university levels too um that not just the government is doing it a lot of universities are doing the research Arch from the psychological standpoint from uh the behavior standpoint and so on Yeah And they are coming up with studies and so on But I think there's a lot of work needs to be done still Yes And the only reason why because those numbers are increasing a lot but at the same time it's a very big spectrum So to understand that spectrum that it takes a lot So it takes a lot of time Yeah Most definitely I just want to put you know put my thoughts into this as well because you know I have a child with autism and you know when you talk about that support and awareness it is great that as you mentioned now the community is more aware about you know hey okay that kind okay maybe that's what's going on with that child but when you when you look at close doors inside the house in a family that's raising a child with autism it affects every single individual in the including the siblings Siblings Yeah that's what I was going to say Yeah So my I have a daughter who's 9 years old and I know she always wanted her a sibling and then she she went through a pace that she's trying to understand why my son was different Mommy why is he not playing with me why is he not responding to me like why wouldn't he like turn when I call his name you know so these things I have to actually sit down and explain to my daughter Yes Um it is challenging I think it's physically mentally and also emotionally u not only for a mother father but also to a sister brother who's part of that family So when we talk about support I think we should also consider the support the family needs Yes Because um it's a journey not only that individual who's diagnosed is going through him It's the whole family going through It's a huge learning curve and because she's a kid too Yes The fact of you know understanding and remembering why my brother is different is a huge leap Yes And you know when I'm dropping them at school I had to remind my I had to tell my daughter and I got just make sure that you keep an eye on uh your brother She's like why he's fine I'm like I know he's fine but just keep an eye on him You know if you see him just go say hello to him right so it's just um it's a huge learning curve like a lot of emotions involved uh lot of conversations needs to happen So I I believe that support has to come from a high end Yeah definitely from the community from the support groups from the government on educational aspects Um and when we talk about support and early intervention I I think I believe not only the kids need early intervention even the family as well emotionally physically need that early intervention in understanding the journey that is ahead of them Yes that is true Yes Yeah So it's a huge learning curve for everybody and I think the pillar behind that is the finances because um I have had the um opportunity to work with a family who actually had decided to go separate ways because they were not able to handle the the struggles that comes with it and it's very sad to see that and um and for families to that this is a situation that families need to stand together strong and you It is hard and I don't blame anybody So I I believe like with proper support from the areas that they can receive they can strengthen those families foundation a little bit more That is true to go forward Yes So financials is one of the biggest things because you know end of the day like you you try to thrive through your emotions your um your stigma your understanding but once the financial pillar is not strong enough then it affects it further more Yes Right So when it comes to early planning and early like you know understanding where to turn to come on can you please touch on few things as to hey once you get the diagnos these are the first steps that you need to do Okay So I mean again going back to your point before I get to what you just asked me is you know what I have also um come to know that I have many clients who actually are my clients and then they got separated just because of this right now in the end it's not the child who with autism suffers but also the siblings also right and um and also I always tell them that you know all all you need to understand there Well just by separating your ways it's not going to just do any better than what it is right so I think that's what people need to know And financial stress you talked about that is the number one stress for everything even for the people's health Yes Right People have more health issues And if you really kind of link that to how it started and what it is and what not the number one reason it's based on the stats right these are not my facts So it's based on the stats It's the number one reason that people have all these different health challenges too Mhm So that's why the the financial is aspect is component is very important Important So early intervention like I said first of all you are uh and this is my advice to all the parents that you have to be the biggest advocate for your child from very beginning Mhm Cuz if you don't support and if you're emotionally drained and if you can't think straight and whatn not you know it is not going to go anywhere and then your child is going to suffer in the end Mhm So that's my that's my take on it that I tell every parents all the time that that's the first thing like put yourself together like sort yourself like go sort it right that's what it is that's number one number two is now find out what are the resources available Mhm So in and it's not just the financial resources the resources in the community in terms of the support you just talked about the sibling right there are many different groups they run sibling groups so what they do is they run this as as an education so all these siblings they they come in a group and then there is an educator and then what they do is they basically make them understand what is autism how should you see your son sorry brother or sister Mhm And how you can support your brother and sister and not only that how you can support your parents right cuz like you said that's the age They don't get it They don't understand like why he's not doing this why he's not looking at me right or something like that So and I understand that So so so that's what it comes down to and that's why people need to find out the resources what's available Um go out in the community Many of times parents don't Yes Right So go out in the community see that what other people are doing because you always learn from others Mhm Okay Regardless of what level you are at in your life whether on a personal level professional level or spiritual level you can always find somebody You can always learn from something from somebody Right so I always tell people like put yourself out the community and see what's out there and then also find an expert to work with Sure So someone who has the best interest in you uh find an expert and then uh also all these processes I would also say that they're not easy to go through in terms of applying for funding and uh provincial and and federal and there's many of them they have wait period for 2 years 3 years and what so you become more frustrated uh quite a few times they get rejected or the application gets declined now they don't know what to do with it right so there is an appeal process but and you have to just kind of go after it So uh that's that's what it comes down to in the early intervention Also start looking for the schools Even though your child is not at that age yet start looking in the schools in the neighborhood Mhm And see which school has what model and then based on that model you can decide okay this is what my son is or my daughter is and based on his or her personality what's the best fit not because someone says to you okay you know what this school is great which is ABC but that ABC is not for you not for your child right you might have to go to XYZ so that's what it is that that's what it's come down to so the these are the different steps which I would say they should take very beginning and more importantly like I said that just be a close friend with your child understand your child um see what the strengths are what the challenges es are and then keep working on it Uh try your best to engage your child based on the strengths aspect like what he or she is good at Maybe he or she likes painting or music or you know what any other like physical activity start getting them involved because this is the way you can just instill so much confidence in them So regardless of what challenges they have maybe let's say they don't have enough expressive language but because of this confidence they know that what they stand for and what they can do and cannot do Exactly Exactly Treating them the same way as you treat another person right without seeing that difference You know it's when you're telling me like I'm picturing my you know I'm I'm thinking about my son and you know I have to tell you he surprises me every day Yes Right He's 6 years old He played the piano when he was three and out of the blue I don't know how he knows the keys Yes Right now these kids are I know they they have some challenges but these kids are very very gifted Yes They have their own you know gifts that you know I really can't express that in words Every day you see them like you know taking that milestones surprising you in many ways My son reads and writes Russian alphabet I I I believe he learned it off YouTube but I have nothing to do with it I one day the school called me and like "Do you have a Russian back?" I'm like "No." This is funny but but for me for he for him he because he's so fascinated with the fonts and the and the drawings of of the alphabets and things like that He's he's so into learning other languages Yeah And um it's amazing like the journey is amazing So when he was first diagnosed he was 3 and a half years old He was diagnosed as non-verbal high functioning He's no longer considered non-verbal because he does speak but in his own way when he really wants to talk Mhm Right So they go through that evolution and because and I believe it's also because us as parents we continue to speak to him Yes Just because he was diagnosed as non-verbal we didn't leave it there We we still read books with him He reads he reads really well um and you know but it's just that communication aspect he's I think he's starting to develop I think every kid will at one stage or not so they do evolve as well through the spectrum so the much support that you can give them and treat them as normal as much as you can I know it's not going to be easy you have your days right I have my days in my home too uh but just having that empowerment right and that strength to pull through to see the rainbow on the other side is very very uh inspiring and tell us I always respected you and uh I like it's you're gaining more respect of me just the way you are saying everything your thought process behind it you know it's very commendable that the way you are treating him and the way actually you are just trying to bring the best out of him I think it's very very commendable yeah yeah that's what we do as parents right yes yeah that's really nice and and you know what on the other side of the fence like there are many parents they give up Mhm they just think about because they they just they just so get so overwhelmed by the diagnosis the label the the doctors and specialist and therapist and so on And that may basically makes them believe that now my child is not able to do anything But that's not the case Like you said you don't know what your child's strength is until you discover it Exactly And to discover it you have to spend time Yes Right Yes So so that what it comes down because see I don't know if you have heard but you know there are there are many individuals out there who are blind they can't see but they have another you know sense which is so strong because the the they always say that well when something is suppressed someone else is going to rise right and this exact concept applies when it comes to artistism maybe they're not good at maybe doing two three four things and I would say always say well even as a typical person Mhm Not everyone is good at everything Yeah Right The only challenge is because your child is not behaving the other the way that you expected to be Or they are not really learning the way other childrens are learning But then that's okay Yeah But they can be some something else right yeah Just accepting who they are and empowering them throughout the journey and you know seeing them evolve that's very inspiring It actually pays off It actually gives me that that satisfaction Oh my god Okay The time I spent with him in you know getting him to like converse with me and now seeing him trying to do that it's it's mindboggling Yeah And I and I and I know that not only me or you like a lot of parents out there is going through this journey And I want this conversation to be very empowering to them to continue to do what they're doing and believing in their journey and their child because there's a lot of potential that is hidden in that little kid that you can definitely bring out 100% Yes And um I wanted to ask your advice Hman because you know when when as we talk about therapy and things like that uh budgeting is very important to keep the therapy going uh for a for a long time because some of the challenges we see is people try to do therapy you know but they're not able to budget it long term So what is your advice there for families who are trying to budget it properly to keep the support or the therapies going for long term for their kids so I always say this that when it comes to that aspect the budgeting skills uh both parents should be on the board not just one or the other right and that's another uh experience I have gone through in working with different families that um I I come across as you know what yeah my wife is good at that she takes care of everything but I'm like okay in the end you need to know that as well Yes cuz if you don't understand it if you're not involved in the process how can you contribute right you can't just go to work and bring money You also need to understand it like where the money is going So budgeting is something that uh the both parents should be on it Um and budgeting is like you said it's important but what I always say budgeting is necessary Yeah Okay And it requires discipline M so there should be some form of format you need to follow Maybe you have Excel spreadsheet Maybe you have a document Maybe you just are not technology person So you have everything kind of written down and you should have like a planner Right so anything works for the families I think that's what they should stick to But when it comes to budgeting now they need to come down to that what what is coming in and what is going out Yeah Okay And uh at that point like in the in the beginning they might not have the funding available because it's just started right so you're managing with what you have but as you start the funding starts kicking then you just now need to manage it effectively in a way that you're not putting yourself into whole lot of depth M that's true because that comes with the stress and that actually drives into your emotions and then because of the emotions now you can't actually execute what you have to on a day-to-day basis Yeah that's true That's true So that's why the budgeting is something that they really need to understand it understand the the difference in between want and need Mhm So you want probably zillions of things but not necessarily need it M so then differentiate there's a fine line and people need to understand that aspect as well and then also like I said that think about the shortterm midterm long term and that will really make you understand not just now even for your future for the future and it is all about you know like it's just kind of making yourself familiarized with it like anything new which you want to implement in our life you're always uncomfortable right it's a human being nature right so whether you want to ride a bike Let's say the first time as a child when you wanted to ride a bike like you're a little bit scared whatever it is right it's no matter what else you have done the first time ever in your life you're a little bit I shouldn't say skeptical it's not about that it's just that the comfort level because you have never done it so that's why you don't want to do it I we're just giving a second thought kind of those things right so so I think that's what uh people need to do that once they're on track with the budgeting It becomes the second nature Yes And it just goes on autopilot and that's how you think that's how you do things And now you're completely fine with everything You don't have to compromise anything just because now you learned that that how to make it happen and at the same time you don't lose anything out of it Yes Yes Yeah That's amazing So that's the that's the budgeting part And uh and then like I said that people need to um first they need to put their financial house together right and I always say this that let's say if you're a builder because you're in real estate so you can relate to this you're a builder and you're building homes okay and I'm as a as a client I just walk in and I say to you Stella can I buy a house we can we can say absolutely yeah we can buy whatever we have different plans whatever it is and then I would say okay so I really love my kitchen because I love to cook I love my family room because I like watching TV with my family I I love watching sports whatever right can you build that first that is my question to you right what would you say to me you can build that first there has to be a foundation right so without the solid and crackfree foundation Nothing else matters what you like Yes Right That has to be solid and then you can just put whatever else you want to put up and then that's going to sustain for number of years Yes Right So that's what it comes down to when it comes to financial house is the the foundation for the financial house is the protection You need to protect the income while you're alive and while you're gone Okay So that comes in the form of the insuranceances Mhm Then also people need to understand that okay we need to prepare wheels and power for turning Can I tell you how many families they don't have it oh yeah Many so many of them they do not have wheels and power for turning But they know they need it They need it right but they never got around it or maybe they never thought that it's important or get it done now mentality right but when it comes to the children with any form of disability including autism they have must have wheels and power attorney Okay cuz we just kind of designed that in a way that we create with the hands and trust Mhm Right It is very important that you have that already built in to your will and power of attorney cuz that is for that is built for the child who has that disability and it's very important Right Yes And then it comes down to the debt management So debt management there are different skills they can learn and how they can pay off that debt quicker uh sooner without piling up more debt Right so there are strategies which they can implement uh and then also they need to learn how to save money for retirement because like I said at some point they are going to retire Yes they have to stop working because physically and medically you're not supported at that point Mhm So even though you want to as much as you can't right so that's that's what it comes down to And then if you have siblings I mean that child has siblings then obviously you want to think about that children those children as well right yes That for their education for their other future aspects and so forth So that's what it comes down to That's the first step I think people need to know Yes when it comes to their finances as a foundation Most definitely No that's very important topics that you touched there and it's very crucial that you know everybody start thinking about that and you know act according to it as soon as they can and and sorry one thing I want to add in it like you know that all comes with the financial literacy Exactly Because people are doing things but they don't know what they are doing why they are doing it what's the purpose of it They're doing it maybe because you know what they they heard it from somebody Maybe their brother did it maybe their cousin did it their friend did it But every family is different Their situation is different Their goals and dreams are different And financial literacy is is lacking The reason why because when we went to school we got math history science for number of years right how many times today we are using history on a daily basis not much When it comes to money we deal with money every single day Yes Right But imagine that if we learn about finances about those rules principles concepts strategies in school for let's say four five six years in a row Oh my god How well equipped you are like when you go to university college you understand the concept When you come out you don't have death Yes Currently based on the stats 85% of students they come out of a university with a with a debt Yeah 85% of them Yeah And they take many years to pay it back Yeah That's the reality Yeah Financial literacy is definitely important That's that's what it is So that that's what I I always say people that you know when you have situation like this or just a typical family understand what the finances are Yes get that education you know it's a financial literacy that's what I say because once you have that that then you can make the informed decision about it absolutely absolutely Hamand most definitely I want to also um talk about the the tools grants or investment strategies that can help families better prepare for children uh to be more independent especially on the spectrum so it comes in three forms I would say I mean you can divide that into three forms the the provincial uh the federal and the the private Okay Okay So there are many programs at those three levels you can find where those programs basically just kind of gives you an idea that okay what's for your children right in terms of the funding the resources the tools and everything and the services So um when it comes to that like I said is um let me let me just talk about one powerful tool which is by the federal government which was introduced back in 2008 Uh it is called RDSP registered disability savings plan Yes So and again that's with the same concern because these numbers are rising and this is not just for people who have uh children with autism it's actually available for any form of disability Yes Uh but that's the concern because at the end of the day that if let's say this these numbers are rising Mhm in the event when parents are passing away Mhm they don't have anything left behind or not enough whose responsibility is that that's the government right so that's why they came up with this back in 2008 Mhm Uh this program basically it's uh what it is that you contribute So they're making parents a little bit more disciplined which I like uh that you contribute a little bit and then government gives you grants and potentially bonds depending on the income of the family M so to give you an idea that if your your family falls under high income over like almost 100,000 Mhm then you put $1,000 in and government gives you $1,000 grant in that account So it's almost 100% match Yes The best investment right yes Do you know any investment which is giving you 100% no guaranteed return no This is how I see it as because I come from that industry And if the the income is less than that so there's a grace grace period in terms of when it comes to those numbers So if you fall under between those those numbers then you put 1,500 in Mhm And government gives you 3500 towards that Wow So now the grant portion is bigger Yeah Right And if the income is comes under the lower income families then not only you get those grants you also get $1,000 in bonds So now you put 1,500 government gives you 45,500 in that account Wow Right So I have seen that as a most powerful tool because many many many clients they have actually understood it They establish it and now fast forward they have almost like $200,000 sitting in their child's account which started from little amount because most money comes from the form of the grants and bonds and also it's an investment because government says well you have to invest it you have to have an investment account so that's an investment account so now that money grows yes right now this has been built for child's long-term future Mhm So and again with the same concept that well while you're around while you're capable you are actually providing everything for your childh Mhm But in the event when you slow down you're retired or you're not around then that becomes your son's financial future your daughter's financial future Yes Right It's a very very powerful program Now the reality is that TFSA which you know of tax receavings account was launched in 2009 and most family they're aware of TFSA but they're not aware of RDSP which was launched year prior Yeah Yeah No that's true You know even myself I I didn't know the the depth of details of it Yeah So it's a good thing that you took the time to break it down Oh my god That's a huge thing everybody It's a game changer That's how I see it as that that particular program is a gamecher for the families For the families exactly and what are the other tools is there any other tools him that compared to that or you know something so so there are so in terms of uh investment portion yes this is RDSP Then there are other tools like you can uh build a trust establish a trust not a build a trust but you can have a trust account where you can just put money into that trust account for your son or daughter and then uh you can just let it build that aspect But then in terms of the benefits there are a lot of benefits available uh provided by the government So uh there's also another program it's it's available by the ministry which is available for those children as well Uh it falls under the acronym SSH special services at home Okay And uh if your son or daughter so your child basically qualifies for it then it also comes with another program which is attached with it which provides uh like a monthly amount which is not a huge amount but then your child also get covered fully for medicals and the dental services Oh nice Okay But the special service at home is also a program where it's a process you have to go through Yeah there's an application process and you have to wait for it and then you have to be an advocate like what's the maximum amount you can get for your child You can there's no fixed number for that Okay It all depends on your child's scenario and how well you will present your child in terms of that application So that's how they will define that what he is entitled to or what she's entitled to and you can get lumpsum amount per year Yes So the way that works that you can use that amount for therapies because that was the concern you brought up that people don't have enough money Uh they can use for therapies they can use for resty services they can use for some other uh services like the home cleaning if you bring the cleaner in your house and so on So there are many different aspects you can cover under that Uh you can even buy a technology for your for your child Yes You can buy a laptop you can buy an iPad right so all they care about is as long as you fall within those guidelines where there's a huge list given to you that this is where you can spend money Mhm It's all yours Absolutely Hemar So as you mentioned every dollar count right because families need the maximum that support that they can get so they can plan it very well for the family and also for the kids that who need that support That is true Most definitely and your thoughts on how the uh border community like business owners schools and local residents actively support families with autism in a meaningful way So that various ways they can actually do it they can have their physical involvement in in the activities in the groups in the programs like the way I am actually contributing into this nonprofit charity right so um just become the ambassador of something right some sort of activity which can bring more awareness and which can bring you know more it's more inclusiveness I would always say that you know people need to feel about it families especially uh because many families They also think that uh because my child has an autism um like they are not accepting my family because the way they actually think about my family think about my child whatever it is But um I think that's why uh even though you don't have anyone in the family you should be physically involved in the family Mhm Uh number two is for business owners I would say that what they should consider doing is they should actually start raising funds or start giving back to the community Uh there are like or just like our charity nonprofit charity there are other charities out there Yes Um and they don't have to just stick to one charity There's no belief system right it's all about it's all you're just doing this for a good cause That's what that's what it is M So just give something back to the community or maybe just do activities at your work I would say building awareness Exactly Like do like like little things like pizza slice sales and whatever it is right something whatever little activities you do raise some funds give it back because every dollar count for these families Exactly Exactly Right And also they can give lumpsum donations as well to the charities Okay you know what we don't want to do any activities uh in our business or at our premises our facility but we would like to contribute into into other other charities so we can give lumpsum yes these charities like like I said our charity we have three different major events which happens every year besides small events to raise funds and there are many many business owners they come out without any other interest you know just uh just give us the fund Yeah They sponsor um they sponsor for little things and then that's what I think the business owners can do as well Yes Yes Because it it goes a long way right so you know apart from all these big pillars giving the support that these families deserve Um the communities that know as waves of change for autism they're doing an amazing job giving back as much as they can with all these sponsorships that they're receiving And you know as much as individuals in the community if we can be a part of that I think that will be really inspiring um and also uplift and empower these families to be there and you know empower their kids to grow into the best version of themselves That's right Yeah most definitely And um before I end the conversation Hammad like if you could share one powerful message with the uh with the border uh uh community um that we live in and also with the government uh about the families impacted with autism What would that be i would say that uh it always goes back to the available resources for the family available services to the family I think the the system should be more easier Uh it should be more um you know the process like it's like a normal process you know rather than families take it as uh or I don't have enough support or I went through this and I didn't get what I want or nobody knows what I'm doing or they can just understand me kind of those things So um I think they should have uh a system in place uh where everyone feel that there is a inclusiveness in the in the process Uh there is accessibility in the process right so accessibility it comes down to how accessible everything is Yes Like like I said there are services available out there Uh parents apply for it and they they have to just wait It's like a waiting game like they're waiting They have been waiting for 2 years 3 years and so on M um especially there is a program by the government it's called OAP right so Ontario autism program where they actually give funds to the families and uh the the way that program has been designed that when your child is until 6 years of age you get very high amount of funds but the reality is that most families they pass the 6 years age because they have been waiting in the waiting game and now they qualify But the child has is over 6 years age Yeah And they don't get what they were supposed to get Right So uh that system I always say that you know there has to be something in place Uh and it's not only that that what's available in terms of the services but also the service providers M I think there is also a shortage in terms of and that's why there's a waiting period right because there are so many things which comes in is flooded in the system but there's not enough support behind the scene to kind of fulfill those requirements Yes So that's my message uh that how uh it can be done or how it can be improved M um and accessibility I think huge is it's it's people don't know how to access services Yes Because there are many many different agencies out there Every agency's uh goal is different Their service is different Um and therefore they are just focused on that and they don't know anything else about any other they don't talk to each other Let me just put it this way Yeah Yeah So they don't know they don't know what the other agency is doing right mhm So I think um there should be a hub Mhm And that hub should be something like any parents they they want any sort of information they just go to the hub Mhm And anything they need should be in there Then they can just kind of get redirected to you know what this is where you should go and this is where you can get what you entitled to Y that's amazing If there is a hub like that I would have saved I would I would say months of research finding where I should turn to when my son was first diagnosed So I think that absolutely that would be a very good resource to have because you know as we discussed like families don't know where to turn to they get the diagnosis and go home and what next yes Right So having that um that guidance that spot that that one place that they can go and access all these resources and knowledge as to how they should plan and what is available to them that is going to be very empowering and to know because end of the day we are actually uh building a future together here because as you mentioned like as statistics there's lot of uh diagnosis you mentioned one in 37 families are diagnosed at autism And that is the future generation that we are looking at and we are we are being we are parents to that future generation So as much as we can empower organize and support them as a community as parents as families that's going to be the result that we're going to see in the future That is true and that's why I do a lot of seminars to these government agencies for the staff for the parents just to bring more awareness right and not just the awareness about what is autism Mhm I think now people need more help with what's after Exactly Right So that's what they need the help with Uh so I expand on many a times in different seminars like different tools and resources how to navigate the system Uh different programs like RDSPS and ODSPs and special services at home and there are many other bunch of programs Yes And I think uh that gives me the fulfillment of you know like this is something for the great cause for sure Uh and it's always about when you're blessed why can't you bless somebody else right that's inspiring him Thank you very much for sharing your insights with us The information that you shared with us has been really valuable and I believe the listeners you gained something out of this And if you're not a family with a child with autism if you know someone who is please go ahead and share this episode with them It'll be very valuable for them to know as to where they can turn and how they can build a very good foundation for their kids Himan once again thank you very much for taking your time And if you would like to contact him on directly and speak with him about the support that he has been providing to families uh with kids with special needs or autism I'm going to leave his link below in our details So please go ahead and check it out and stay tuned for our next episode And thank you to all our viewers for listening to us and thank you Stella again for inviting me You're most welcome HMA It was an honor to have you Thank you

Thank you Ham for sharing your valuable insights It's clear that with the right knowledge and planning families can build a stable and secure financial future for their children To our listeners if you have questions or would like to connect with him directly please visit the link below on our bio and you know connect with him Thank you for joining us for this heartfelt and informative conversation Please subscribe and share with anyone who can benefit from this valuable information Remember awareness leads to action and together we can create a stronger more supportive community for all families Stay tuned for more empowering conversations here on the Stellar Talk Show Until next time thank you for spending your time with us on the Stellar Talk Show We hope you found value in today's episode and gained insights to help elevate your lifestyle If you enjoyed the discussion please like subscribe and share it with anyone who could benefit It means the world to us Until our next episode stay inspired and I'll see you soon on our next Stellar Talk Show