Who We Are
Sound Youth Neurodiversity Collective (SYNC) is a culmination of like-minded providers that saw a need within our community: A place for neurodivergent youth and their families to be heard and given different options for therapeutic support. We are a multi-disciplinary collective of independent neurodiversity-affirming practitioners.
Our Story
Sound Youth Neurodiversity Collective is an idea co-founder Mary Coburn has been envisioning since 2022. As the owner of Whole Child Therapy Services, Mary has been in private practice as a Speech-Language Pathologist for the past 10 years. In that time, she realized that in order to better serve the community, quality of care could not be compromised by profit. As a result, she navigated away from hiring providers as she did not want to put a price on the work of other providers and wanted to support their autonomy. She also knew that private practice can be isolating and her clients would benefit from a variety of services in one location. She realized that a collective with shared values could provide the types of services families deserve! In a therapy collective, healthcare providers can build community, share costs, and create a space of ongoing learning and progress. At the same time, families can access trusted medical and mental health services in a space where services can be collaborative, if needed. With the help of Occupational Therapist, Samantha Trout, Sound Youth Neurodiversity Collective was formed.
We share a mutual desire to create new opportunities for families and healthcare providers who feel limited by the traditional medical model of diagnosis and service delivery. Existing models of care overly-emphasize constrained therapy times, and a more compliance-based approach to therapy, which often limit progress and pose unintentional harm to clients and their families. Instead of focusing on "standard practices" such as diagnosis and symptoms, our goal is to focus on specific challenges by leveraging strengths to build skills. Social barriers in the environment such as perspectives on diagnosis/disability and lack of accommodations adversely affect one's sense of identity, mental health, and well being. We believe that strong relationships are vital to progress and services that meet a person where they are and support their individual goals (not neurotypical goals), contribute to a positive sense of self. We created a space to do just that.
Core Values
Integrity
Transparency is central to our business practices. We prioritize client and provider wellness over maximizing profits. This includes longer and frequent service times based on need. High standards of ethical practices include the right of services to all and do not discriminate based on race, disability, gender, or socio-economic status.
Self-Determination
We presume competence of our clients’ abilities and do not limit their potential based on preconceived ideas of “functioning”. We support our clients’ rights to bodily autonomy and self-determination of their goals. Clients are included in the goal-setting process as much as possible.
Advocacy & Equity
Environment or attitudes must change at times so that a child/adolescent can be successful. We advocate for these accommodations and seek to address social barriers to inclusion. We also recognize the intersections of disability, race, class, gender, and sexual orientation as it relates to access and inclusion.
Growth
Our collective members are committed to life-long learning including continuing education and learning from mistakes. We are committed to accountability and openness to feedback and growth. One benefit of a multi-disciplinary co-working space is the opportunity to learn from each other. We also learn so much from our clients and families.
Relationship
Children learn best when they are given time, feel heard, and find connections based on collaboration and co-regulation. Child-led sessions vs compliance-based tasks allow each session to fun and unique. We take time to build relationships with both our clients and their families. Parent coaching and community partnerships are instrumental in generalization of skills across contexts and settings.
Collaboration
We are opposed to using a short office visit and standardized test to diagnose and provide service. We
believe that a multi-disciplinary team provide a nuanced view of a child's strengths and needs. Our co-working space allows this collaboration and creates a supportive network for families.