AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MOM!

I’m a mother of 2 adorable boys, aged 11 and 8. They are truly my WORLD, because everything I do in life is for them to eventually benefit from. My 11-year-old was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at age 4. It comes with its positives and negatives, and it requires constant guidance and a lot of time and energy. There are many different obsessions, anxieties, and behaviors to deal with, but so far we’ve been doing just fine. We’ve tried a whole range of therapists and schools, and have finally found what works for us; virtual schooling in combination with online therapy, and the one type of therapy that worked best so far comes from ME. I took matters into my own hands, because I know my son best. Whatever works for any child on the spectrum, it’s all about achieving the same goal; make the child happy, independent, and successful in life. Taking matters into our own hands is all WE know that worked so far, and we’re a very happy family because of it. In the back of my mind, however, is the future… Will I be able to provide for my boys with as much energy and time as I do now? It’s always better to prepare for the future.

At this point my 11-year-old is doing fantastic in four fields of life; academic, social (with guidance), physical, and emotional. There is another very important field knocking on his door, and it’s coming closer and closer: establishing financial security, which he can independently deal with. It would be nice to think that we as parents can save up plenty of money for the future of our children on the spectrum, so they don’t have to deal with the extra stress that comes with establishing a career (financial security). Unfortunately, in most cases this is not possible. People on the spectrum have a lot of difficulty with finding a job. Their high intelligence level is simply not enough to maintain a job. They need to deal with social pressure, organizational skills, and many more issues that are really hard to accomplish no matter how well they prepare for it, and statistics back these observations.

I feel it’s never too early to start thinking about preparing for a career for my son. I can already predict that working for some boss at some company from 9 to 5 on weekdays is not going to work for him. If he decides to go that route later, I’ll be happy for him and I’ll let him do what he feels like, but chances are he won’t. Luckily I came across Picasso Einstein!

I attended a six-week course set up for parents named “Project Family” at Picasso Einstein, which guided me with setting up a plan for my son’s future as an entrepreneur. Being a business owner myself, at first I thought; “I already know how to set up and run a business, why would I need this course? I don’t think it will help much.” I was wrong! Besides learning basic business skills there were many issues highlighted about how to set up an home-based small business for a person with a disability (in my case ‘my child on the spectrum). From scheduling to budgeting, everything was covered. There was a load of additional materials provided, a lot of hands-on work, discussions, and customized planning involved. There were many insights offered in free help from the government. The whole idea of this class was based on the PERSON (my son), and the best ways to achieve his financial success, without jeopardizing his success in all other fields of life. The small class size ensured that every parent was given the attention and help needed. I would highly recommend this class to any parent who feels anxious about his/her child’s future, especially if there are already indicators for a bumpy road ahead. Picasso Einstein offers lifetime support through their online network as well. I feel like I’m not alone anymore. I finally see hope for my son’s future, and we can’t wait to get started. It’s never too early!

Nisha Ramnarine
Graduate of the "Project Family" Caregiver Course

For more information: See www.PicassoEinstein.com