Increase in Autism and Financial Burden for Families Touched by Autism Prompts Prominent Long Island Wealth Manager, a Father of

Contact: Donna M. Autuori FOR IMMEDIATE
Autuori Corporate Communications, Inc. RELEASE
(631) 321-0045, dmautuori@optonline.net March 29, 2010

Increase in Autism and Financial Burden for Families Touched by Autism
Prompts Prominent Long Island Wealth Manager, a Father of Two Autistic Boys,
to Form New Resource – Legacy of Love

Melville, NY…
Charles Massimo, president of CJM Fiscal Management, a leading wealth management and financial advisory firm, decided to do something about the lack of resources for the growing number of families touched by autism, which includes his own. This father of triplets, two of whom are on the autistic spectrum, and a well-noted wealth manager to the affluent, has formed a new division, Legacy of Love (www.legacyofloveplan.com), specifically to provide wealth and life planning services for families with autistic children.
“While my wife and I have first-hand experience coping with the challenges, frustrations and considerable expenses associated with the care and treatment of our sons, I have become increasingly more aware of the enormous financial burdens and equally large void in resources to help families like mine,” said Massimo. “From all of the research we have conducted, we have found no organization that provides families with autistic members help both on the side of preserving and building their wealth, as well as meeting the life planning needs of their autistic children. I formed Legacy of Love with the goal of provided a fully-integrated planning service for families touched by autism.”
Massimo’s findings are in line with all of the latest research. With 1 in every 91 children in the United States now has an autism spectrum disorder (Source: Department of Health and Human Services National Survey of Children’s Health report, which relied on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The cost for their lifetime care and treatment is estimated at $3 million (Source: A Harvard University study), which translates, on average, to approximately $30,000 per year. Other studies suggest that families with autistic members are really struggling with how to meet their additional financial needs.
A MassMutual-sponsored 2008 Easter Seals study, “Living with Autism” found that 75% of parents with autistic children worry about the financial support their child will receive when they can no longer support them, and 61% of these parents incurred debt to meet their financial needs. It also found that 78% of the families surveyed had no life care plan for their autistic children.
“The financial worries consume parents with autistic children,” said Massimo. “Every day, we go to bed and wake up worrying about what will happen to our children when we’re no longer around to take care of them.”
Massimo, who has been ranked on the “Reuters Top Advisor List” and nominated to Worth Magazine’s “Top 100 Wealth Advisors,” believes that families with autistic children are especially in need of a plan that protects their assets, grows their investment portfolios and preserves their wealth. Equally important, he said, is a plan that is integrated with an individualized life plan for the autistic child.
“For every family, it’s important to have a plan that helps meet both your financial and long-term life goals,” continued Massimo. “However, for families with autistic children, a failure to plan and manage their finances to build growth and protect assets can have a devastating effect on both the family and the autistic child. By performing the appropriate discovery and due diligence, and following a disciplined approach of wealth management, families touched by autism can gain peace of mind in knowing there will be funds available and the right care and resources in place to care for their autistic child, as well as meet the financial needs of all the other family members such as college, retirement, weddings, etc.”
To ensure that the best resources are available through Legacy of Love, Massimo has formed an advisory board and allied resources across various disciplines serving families with autistic members. They include: estate planning attorneys, Certified Public Accountants, Board Certified Defeat Autism Now (DAN) physician, Board Certified DAN neurological chiropractor, special education teacher, speech language pathologist, physical/occupational therapists, behavioral ABA Certified therapist, social worker, parent advocate, recreational resources and nonprofit organizations.
Heading up Legacy of Love’s Individual Life Planning development team is Lisa A. Gatti, founder and Executive Director of Pal-O-Mine Equestrian, Inc. (Islandia, NY), a non-profit organization and comprehensive therapeutic equine center serving physically, cognitively and emotionally disabled individuals. Ms. Gatti brings to the role an extensive background, dually certified in special and elementary education and well versed in Applied Behavioral Analysis, American Sign Language and other augmentative communication applications. She is also a nationally-recognized leader in the application of hippotherapy, equine assisted psychotherapy and learning, and competitive and therapeutic riding. She is a member of the Board of Directors of EAGALA, a leading equine-assisted psychotherapy international organization.
“The Individualized Life Plan component of our services will function much in the way an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) does to meet the special education needs of children with autism,” explained Massimo. “The difference is that our ILP will cover a broad array of the child’s needs, from education and socialization to medical, recreational, vocational, housing and independent living as the child ages. The plan is developed following a thorough assessment by our ILP team and is integrated into our wealth management plan for the family. The ILP will continually evolve to make sure it supports the child through each stage of his or her life.”
Massimo added, “We want families touched by autism to know that there is a resource available to them to provide the professional planning, support and one-on-one advocacy they need to meet their long-term financial goals for their family and life goals for their autistic child.”
For more information, visit: www.legacyofloveplan.com or call: CJM Fiscal Management, Legacy of Love Division at: 631-777-1010.