TPP 393: Dr. Mel Houser on Navigating the Healthcare System as a Neurodivergent Person
episode
Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
37 min
2 speakers
3 chapters
transcribed 7 hours ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Why do neurodivergent patients often struggle with traditional healthcare appointments?
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That's the thing. Healthcare, medical education actually believes that there is one linear, correct way to develop. So when you ask me about barriers, I think that's important to name. I think the medical model is a barrier to access. I think that the way a professional sees you influences you. your interactions. If someone is viewing me through a deficit-based lens, my limbic system sounds the alarm. You're not safe. And there are so many patients who do not feel safe in healthcare environments. And they're not wrong.
I'm Debbie Reber and welcome to Tilt Parenting, a podcast featuring interviews and conversations aimed at inspiring, informing, and supporting parents raising differently wired kids. For some people, going to the doctor is not 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 hopes of a smooth appointment. Unfortunately, all too often, medical appointments are uncomfortable, they're stressful, and in some cases, they're traumatic because the environments and the approaches to healthcare in those settings aren't neurodivergent affirming.
As a result, traditional healthcare models often fail their neurodivergent patients, which is why today's conversation is so important. My guest is a doctor who is passionate about changing medical practices to be more neuro-inclusive and community-based. Dr. Mel Hauser is a family physician and the founder and executive director of All Brains Belong Vermont, a nonprofit organization 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. So in this episode, Mel introduces us to All Brains Belong Vermont, which is truly a revolutionary community-driven healthcare model that goes way beyond medical care.
We also talked about why the traditional healthcare system often fails their neurodivergent patients and the serious consequences for those patients when they opt out of the medical system altogether. We talked about the critical need for healthcare to address not just physical, but also the social and emotional needs of their patients and practical strategies on advocating for better healthcare from understanding access needs and requesting accommodations to just challenging the defaults of the current system. I really loved this conversation. I'm so grateful that Dr. Hauser is doing this work in the world. And I feel so much more informed about how we can navigate the healthcare system in a way that really supports our kids and ourselves.
I hope you enjoy it. Hey Mel, welcome to the podcast. Thanks for having me. I'm so happy to bring yet another new conversation. I've been doing this show for over eight years and I am always thrilled when I can bring a new topic to the show. So I'm really looking forward to getting into your work today. But before we dive in, would you spend a little time talking about who you are in the world and kind of your personal why for what you've created through All Brains Belong? I guess, really your story. Tell us a little bit about your origin story, if you will.
Yeah. So I'm an autistic family physician, and I'm the executive director of a nonprofit organization in Vermont called All Brains Belong Vermont. And we've developed a new model of healthcare to try to meet the needs of people who have felt dismissed, invalidated, other, not had their needs met by the traditional healthcare system.
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Chapters
3 chapters
1
Why do neurodivergent patients often struggle with traditional healthcare appointments?
0:00–20:30
2
How did Dr. Mel Houser’s personal neurodivergent diagnosis inspire All Brains Belong?
20:30–27:04
3
What is the All Brains Belong community‑driven healthcare model and how does it integrate medical care with social support?
27:04–37:30
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
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