The Financial Planning Association is expanding its diversity efforts by creating a community group for advisors and their clients who are on the autism spectrum or who have other neurological issues, the FPA announced Wednesday.

The association’s Neurodivergent Planner Knowledge Circle was created to provide a community and support for planners who are neurodiverse or who have clients or employees who are, the FPA said. "Neurodivergent" people are characterized by autistic or other neurologically atypical patterns of thought or behavior.

“FPA is proud to embrace the wonderful diversity of our profession, which makes our community strong and vibrant,” said Patrick D. Mahoney, the association’s CEO, in a statement. “I am pleased FPA is helping lead the way in supporting this underserved community of planners to advance the diversity of thought, talent and new financial planning approaches in the profession.”

The knowledge circle is not only for neurodiverse planners, but also for those hiring and supervising them and for planners serving neurodiverse clients—so that all can share resources, insights and best practices, the FPA said.
 
Andrew Komarow, a member of the FPA Diversity and Inclusion Committee, will lead the new community. Knowledge circle participants will explore the needs of neurodiverse financial planners who might have thinking or learning variations, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia (which affects a person’s ability to do arithmetic), dyspraxia (which affects coordination) and Tourette’s syndrome. The group will focus on reframing employment, benefits and accommodations to best serve the unique needs of neurodiverse individuals. The community will explore additional educational initiatives and content over the coming months, the FPA said.

Participation in the circle is open to all FPA members, including those who may not identify as neurodivergent but who want to learn about the community and clients who are neurodiverse, the FPA said.

There are 15 online community groups that the FPA has created to encourage financial professionals to coalesce around shared interests and connect globally with peers.