Northwestern Mutual

My name is Shaun, and my younger brother Dean has Asperger’s syndrome.  We grew up in a single parent home and I helped raise him.  Deans story to date is a happy one given that he can hold a simple job and perform most daily tasks.   I work as a Financial Representative with Northwestern Mutual and plan with individuals and families to help them reach goals.  For most of those folks the path is to save for college, send the kids off at 18 and save for a comfortable retirement.  Everyone reading this already knows that path is not the same for those raising children on the Autism spectrum.   I’ve worked through the finances of my mother, and the folks she met through various support groups, but in most cases the lack of upfront planning has caused irreparable damage or a concern for the care of their loved ones when they are no longer able to provide it.  These conversations have led me to believe that to support our community we must be proactive and realistic about the unique circumstances parents of Autistic children face on the financial front.   With that mission in mind, I reached out to Northwestern’s main office, and it turns out this was an issue they also felt deserved a deeper look.  We have developed a presentation centered around financial security and special needs. I bring that information to now in the hopes we can connect and work through these challenges together.