BusyKid Helps ASD Children Prepare For Real Life!
I have written about the BusyKid app before, and I am excited to write about them again. I think this is such a clever idea, and something that can make a word of difference in a child’s life. You can give them the give of financial knowledge, and prepare them to go out in the world knowing that they have the tools they need to make wise monetary decisions. But what is really neat is how BusyKid helps ASD children prepare for real life!
Did you know that unemployment and underemployment rates for young adults with ASD is at 90%? That is just nuts, as many are so ready and willing to work, AND can handle the responsibilities of a job. It is estimated that 1.5 million people in the US have Autism and about 80% of them are under age 22. This is the age where they are just heading out into the world and want to work. It is hard enough for teens to get a job, due to retired folks having to get part-time jobs, most likely for health insurance {we are actually in this situation}. Since the minimum wage has been raised, more adults are taking on part time jobs, leaving teens to have difficulty finding jobs. The sad part is that for Autistic kids and young adults the task of finding a job is especially daunting and frustrating.
Over three-quarters (77%) who are unemployed say they want to work. In fact, 4 in 10 autistic people who are currently working part-time say they really want to work more hours. Recent studies show that over 50% of autistic people claimed that their skills were even more than many jobs required. Since about 50,000 people with Autism turn 18 years old every year. That is a huge amount of people who are willing to work, but just can’t find a job. But there is help!
BusyKid is the first (and only) chore/allowance platform that lets kids earn, save, share, spend and invest real money. Basically, it works like this: Children complete chores throughout the week and every Friday (which will be pay day) the children are paid an allowance that can be saved, invested or spent. One way of looking at it is as a first job – one with direct deposit. Just think about it, by the time your children are young adults and ready to go out into the big world, they will be prepared with the financial knowledge they will need. I think they should be learning about money in school, but unfortunately schools tend to have kids do subjects that they probably won’t benefit from in life. What is alarming to me is that in the US, only 7 states require high school students to pass a basic finance test in order to graduate.
Features of BusyKid:
– Enroll the entire family for $14.95 a year and get first 30 days free
– Add a BusyKid Spend Card (rechargeable Debit Card) for just $5 per year.
– BusyKid Spend Card allows child to spend allowance in-stores or online, or transfer fund to other bank accounts.
– Kids can still buy gift cards and stock through BusyKid
– Kids can make direct donations to several charities.
How are you preparing your kids? The environment can be rough, so please make sure you help them learn about time management, money and responsibility. One other thing that is a BIG deal to me, is for kids to learn about having a good work ethic. This is SO important in life. Sadly, many adults have no clue about finance..so why not let your kids learn at least?
Gregg Murset, BusyKid CEO, says that:
Basic financial topics such as saving, investing, budgeting, credit, taxes, loans should be taught with the same importance as reading, writing, math and science in our schools. It’s not the fault of teachers, but we aren’t preparing our children properly to face a world of hard financial decisions.
Some parents don’t believe in an allowance – they think that their kids should do chores without an allowance, since they are a part of the family too. The problem with this, as I see it, is that it doesn’t give them the opportunity to learn about money OR save up for that something special that they want to purchase.
Unfortunately, the world can be tough place for any teen or young adult who isn’t prepared for the ridiculous amount of financial decisions hitting them each day. How are young adults/teens with autism supposed to deal with these things? Many of these kids just want a chance to prove themselves. They want to prove that they are capable of handling what comes their way, but parents still need to help with preparing them for what’s coming.
This is why the BusyKid app was built! It is quite brilliant in my opinion. It not only teaches them about money, but it is fun. To watch their money grow, because of THEIR smart decisions, can be very rewarding.
Another thing to love about BusyKid is that they support Sounds of Autism.
Sounds of Autism is an organization committed to responding to families of Autism by sharing our knowledge of resources and opportunities within the community that may offer support when raising a child on the spectrum. Kids using BusyKid can donate part of their allowance each week to Sounds of Autism or other charities.
Here are some helpful tips from BusyKid for those Working Around a Special Needs Child:
Learn The Language: Most if not all within the ASD community have a unique language. Many ASD children are concrete thinkers so there is no “Gray Area”. Don’t take directness as rudeness and use specific details is very important when asking or telling them to do something or giving instruction.
Differing Emotions: A member of the ASD community may not share the same emotional reactions as typical society. Maybe a child cried at funeral because of the music at the church and not because someone in the family died. Don’t be offended when an ASD child doesn’t react like everyone else.
Slower Processing: A member of the ASD community typically process most if not all information on a delay. When confronted with information, the process to retain and understand the information can be overwhelming or over-stimulating. Give them time to soak it in and react.
Not The Same Grade: A member of the ASD community tends to have a 1-1.5 year delay mentally. This typically causes the ASD person to perform tasks such as school work at a grade level 1-2 years lower than their chronological age. Being aware can help an employer assign the right position or duties.
Stay In Routine: Many members of the ASD community thrive from having a daily routine. Schedules and timelines are often necessary for success, growth and the ability to maintain a more typical life style. Using a platform like BusyKid can help an ASD child build a routine, find daily successes and provide an outlet to earn, as well as, spend money like anyone else. This too is important.
How do you get started with BusyKid? The price for BusyKid is $14.95 and includes the whole family. Also, they are coming out with a reloadable Visa prepaid card {called the BusyKid Spend Card). This makes it possible for kids to move their allowance in order to spend both online and off. And finally, for a limited time only, two children in every new family will receive a free $10 stock! It will be fun for kids to learn how to invest, and this will help them understand a bit, how the stock market works. Why oh why couldn’t they have come up with this when my kids were little ones?
One Response
This sounds like a great teaching app!