TPP 393: Dr. Mel Houser on Navigating the Healthcare System as a Neurodivergent Person

For some people, going to the doctor isn’t as simple as going to the doctor. In fact, for many parents of neurodivergent kids, and for many neurodivergent people themselves, interacting with healthcare systems requires researching, planning, and strategizing ahead of time in the hopes of a smooth appointment. Unfortunately, all too often, medical appointments are uncomfortable, stressful, and in some cases traumatic, because they environments and approaches to healthcare aren’t neurodivergent affirming.

As a result, traditional healthcare models often fail their neurodivergent patients, which is why today’s conversation is so important, as my guest is a doctor who is passionate about changing medical practices to be more neuroinclusive and community-based on this episode. Dr. Mel Houser is a family physician and Founder and Executive Director of All Brains Belong VT, a nonprofit organization in Montpelier, Vermont with a mission to support the health and belonging of people with all types of brains. All Brains Belong has pioneered an innovative model that integrates medical care with social connection, employment support, and community education.

In this conversation, Mel introduced me to the All Brains Belong Vermont, a revolutionary community-driven healthcare model that goes beyond medical care. We also talked about why the traditional healthcare system often fails neurodivergent patients and the serious consequences when they opt out of the medical system, the critical need for healthcare to address not just physical, but also social and emotional needs, and practical strategies on advocating for better healthcare, from understanding access needs and requesting accommodations to challenging the defaults of the current system.

About Dr. Mel Houser

Dr. Mel Houser is a family physician and Founder and Executive Director of All Brains Belong VT, a nonprofit organization in Montpelier, Vermont with a mission to support the health and belonging of people with all types of brains. All Brains Belong has pioneered an innovative model that integrates medical care with social connection, employment support, and community education.

Things you'll learn

• How all Brains Belong Vermont has developed a community-driven healthcare model that integrates medical care with social connection and employment support
• Why the traditional healthcare system often fails neurodivergent patients
• What the consequences are when neurodivergent people opt out of the medical system
• Why it’s critical that healthcare address patients' social and emotional needs
• What universal design for healthcare is and how it can improve experiences for neurodivergent people
• How we can all advocate for better healthcare by learning about access needs, requesting accommodations, and challenging system defaults

Resources mentioned

• All Brains Belong (Dr. Mel Houser’s website)
• All Brains Belong on Instagram
• All Brains Belong on Facebook
• Dr. Mel Houser on LinkedIn
• All Brains Belong Resource, ALL THE THINGS (Free resource for navigating neurodivergent healthcare)
• All Brains Belong Kid Connections (Free customized friend-making program for kids age 4-17 based on shared interests)
• Everything is Connected to Everything: Improving the Healthcare of Autistic & ADHD Patients
• Brain Club: (Weekly virtual community education program for older teens & adults)
• Practical Strategies for Neuroinclusive Healthcare (webinar)
• Milton’s ‘double Empathy Problem’: A Summary for Non-academics

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