Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, for the Times Argus
MONTPELIER — Just behind the city’s firehouse, an unassuming Victorian building holds a doctor’s office that reimagines what healthcare can look like for neurodivergent people.
All Brains Belong, a nonprofit that offers primary care for 450 patients, has a clinical model based around social connection and mutual aid. The practice is specifically tailored to people who are neurodivergent, a catchall term covering conditions such as autism and dyslexia where people process information differently than most.
While the practice is currently closed to new patients, All Brains Belong also offers educational material and support for the public, including the weekly virtual Brain Club meeting, employer trainings and, coming out this fall, the clinic founder’s first published book.
Guiding all of these programs is the nonprofit’s mission to provide an alternative to the standard “one-size-fits-all” healthcare system that doesn’t always work for neurodivergent people.
“Many people have had experiences where they haven’t felt heard, and over time they stop trying to access health care because their experiences are so uncomfortable, or they leave encounters feeling dismissed or like their needs weren’t met,” said Dr. Melissa Houser, director and founder of All Brains Belong.
Houser, a family physician, founded the clinic in November 2021, shortly after she was diagnosed with autism and learned a terrifying statistic: The life expectancy of autistic people is as many as 30 years shorter than non-autistic people, with cardiovascular disease and suicide as the leading causes. This health disparity is also partly driven by complex co-occurring conditions such as hypermobility, migraines and long COVID.
“In a healthcare system that’s built around 15-minute appointments, the clinician doesn’t have the opportunity to zoom out and recognize that all these medical problems are actually related to each other and need to be managed as a whole,” Houser said.
Houser’s approach to care pays attention to the details. Instead of the typical, harsh fluorescent lights in most doctor’s offices, All Brains Belong offers patients choices in every aspect of their care. Patients pick whether they meet with their doctor in the office, outdoors or remotely, giving them control over their environment — from temperature to available sensory and executive function supports. Patients can also receive care in group settings.
“We offer everybody a menu,” Houser said. “We don’t wait for people to disclose a disability and request accommodation. Of course, they’re welcome to do that, but in four years, nobody has had to.”
In addition to the medical practice, All Brains Belong also facilitates Brain Club, a free weekly education program open to anyone who is eager to learn more about neurodivergence, whether they are a patient or not. Participants discuss topics chosen by the neurodivergent community, such as health communication, nervous system regulation and employment relationships.
This philosophy led to the establishment of Building Opportunities Through Support & Training, a career-building workshop that helps patients connect with other working professionals and problem-solve through office struggles.
This program was a big part of getting Debra Ann Pinsof-DePillis’s pediatric occupational therapy office off the ground. She met someone in the group who helped her make her first marketing brochure in 10 years.
“That gave me confidence,” Pinsof-DePillis said. “The other piece was the practical details. As an occupational therapist, I play with kids. I love that part of my job. But responding to emails and responding in a timely fashion and getting everything done was the frustrating part of my job.”
The group helped Pinsof-DePillis brainstorm practical solutions to her problem. They eventually settled on a simple email signature: “Typically reply Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.”
Pinsof-DePillis’ son, 9, also participates in the Kid Connections program, which matches children from 29 states and 12 countries with others that share their interests. Four years ago, Pinsof-DePillis’s son matched with another child who was a fan of the animated series “PAW Patrol.”
“We are still friends with that kid and that family,” Pinsof-DePillis said. Some people match virtually or over text, but the Pinsof-DePillis family prefers to meet in person.
For Pinsof-DePillis, the All Brains Belong community is essential.
“For everything from problem solving to venting, it’s all just so necessary. Or just for my own health, as an individual,” she said.
Houser hopes her organization can serve as an inspiration.
“We’re hoping this gives people permission to reimagine what’s possible when you see something you don’t like,” Houser said. “You partner with your community, the people closest to the problems, and you can co-create something really beautiful that works for the people you’re serving, because they help design it and grow it.”