Banking on Inclusion: Teaching Financial Literacy to Neurodiverse and Disabled Communities

Kimberly Muse’s 20-year-old son, Kye, is—in her words—a “great guy.” A high-functioning young man on the autism spectrum, Kye wants to get a job and live on his own. But, Kimberly explains, there’s one thing she worries about: Money. “Kye thought I pulled money off of a tree,” she says. “He knew there was money in the bank, but he had no understanding of how it got there.”

When she learned about a financial literacy program JPMorganChase was offering through United Way of Greater Newark in New Jersey, she signed Kye up. Both mother and son are thrilled with how it unfolded. Kye learned how to buy Christmas gifts on a budget, and had money left over. And Kimberly was pleased to know her son gained information that will help him become more independent.

“The class moved at a pace that he and his friends—some of whom have more intellectual challenges—could understand,” Muse says. “The facilitators took their time and would repeat themselves or re-word something in terms the class could understand without ever making them feel ‘less than,’ or afraid to ask questions.”

It’s All in the Delivery

Melissa Prashad, a JPMorganChase Community Manager in Jersey City and one of the creators of the course, has a lot of experience when it comes to teaching financial literacy. She has worked with United Way of Greater Newark to offer courses in banking basics to low- and moderate-income people in Newark and the surrounding community. But her partnership with United Way introduced her to a group that is often overlooked: people with intellectual disabilities.

As one of United Way of Greater Newark’s board members, Prashad was familiar with the materials to best reach this community. With their help, she created a course that would present vital information in a pragmatic way that would resonate with her audience.

“We discussed bad debt and credit cards, and each participant had a book to help them keep track of their goals and dreams,” Prashad explains. “We made vision boards for travel, family, and healthy food and had a room dedicated to plastic piggy banks where they put five dollars each week—money they diverted from impulse buys of snacks and treats.”

According to Catherine Wilson, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Newark, the four-week courses reached over 50 people in three cohorts. Some who attended were employed adults with guardians; others, who were less independent, were concerned about allowances and spending money. But everyone was there to learn about how to save and budget for their needs and wants, from bus fare and sneakers to video games.

“The instructors shaped the curriculum so that it would make sense and be retained by the participants,” says Wilson. “They devised hands-on activities and set goals that they adjusted as they went along. Their openness and flexibility show in how well the information was received.”

Empowering Independence

Newark isn’t the only place where JPMorganChase is providing financial literacy lessons for members of the disability and neurodivergent communities. With support from the company’s Office of Disability Inclusion, Jackie Gutierrez, Community Manager in Miami, Florida has led the program. Working with fellow community managers, she has been able to teach personal finance to audiences around the country.

Gutierrez has led the program’s growth from its initial on-site cohort at Miami’s Little Havana branch in early 2021 to virtual groups in California, Texas and Maine, delivering content with fellow Miami Community Managers Ken Frazier and Andrea Moreno.

“Our goal is to empower their independence, whether they’re Chase clients or not,” says Gutierrez. “We never know who’s walking into the room, who has what kind of abilities and needs, so we adapt ourselves to delivering Banking 101 in ways it can be received.”

Sylvia Gil, President and Founder of Neuro Consulting Services, trains JPMorganChase Community Managers in south Florida; they, in turn, provide financial literacy classes, both in person and virtually, to neurodiverse clients around the country. Gill’s training helps the facilitators understand how to modify their presentations by using clear language, pausing to ask questions, avoiding eye contact when necessary, and being sensitive to individuals who may need more time to process new information. Knowing how to connect with people with autism and related disabilities is important, but Gill notes that this kind of awareness is useful for everyone.

“The biggest lesson we learned is that listening more carefully and being more attuned and empathetic can support all kinds of clients, for all kinds of reasons,” Gil says.

Gil’s approach has changed the way Frazier—one of the Community Managers who conducts classes—interacts with all his clients, as well as people outside of work. While training with Gill, Ken learned to be sensitive to potential pitfalls like voice volume, subtle signs of discomfort, and assumptions about what someone does or does not understand.

“We each have sensitivities and our own communication preferences and needs,” Frazier explains. “I’ve gained so much intellectual capital that I use on a day-to-day basis, such as including visuals in all of my meetings, and it’s helped me to better understand people in my personal life better, too.”

Dina Grilo, Program Lead for Financial Education at the Office of Disability Inclusion, is proud to support these financial workshops. “We are committed to provide banking independence and equity for all individuals with disabilities,” she says. “And we are delighted to see that our partnership with these organizations and community mangers is providing such practical training for the most vulnerable communities.”