Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Naughton
Hi Amy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started my Occupational Therapy practice, All Kinds of Minds, in 2023. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I would start my own business, but here we are! I received my Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy in 2012 from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA. After graduate school, I moved back to SC, and began working part-time for the public school system while also doing pediatric home-care OT for a small, local practice. Gradually, my school caseload grew, and after a few years with the district, I was offered a full-time position.
When COVID hit in 2020, I began working from home like everyone else, While most of my colleagues returned in-person in the Fall of 2020, I elected to work from home as the school district’s telehealth OT for their new Virtual program. My husband was in the “at-risk” category, and we decided it would be best for our family to continue to quarantine until vaccines became readily available. It was during this time, that I decided to seek out mental health counseling, which led me to both an Autism and and ADHD diagnosis at the age of 38. In true Neurodivergent fashion, I immediately began researching and learning everything I could about my diagnoses. I finished out my commitment for the remainder of the school year and returned the following year in-person (though I continued to be the “Virtual OT” for those students who had decided to continue in the program.)
Returning to work in special education with this new information quickly became difficult for me. My eyes were now opened to all of the flaws in the system and I felt powerless watching what some of my students went through every day. I knew I had to go in another direction, but when I started looking at positions with other agencies, I quickly realized that our area is seriously lacking in Neurodiversity-Affirming agencies and services, and that I would likely encounter a lot of the same things that had bothered me in the school system if I were to go work for another organization. In June 2023, after a decade in the school system, I officially started All Kinds of Minds, so I could focus on providing Neurodiversity-Affirming OT to children on my own terms. It has not been easy, but I will never look back!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Aside from learning the ins and outs of running a business, the biggest challenge for me has been figuring out how to bill and get paid by insurance companies. I tried to hire a biller at first, but had a bad experience and decided to do it myself until I untangled the mess I had created. I learned a lot of things the hard way.
As an AuDHD adult, I struggle with executive function (e.g., things like task initiation, time management, prioritization and organization.). As you can imagine, this can make the administration side of running a business rather difficult at times. And as a small-business owner, there are no sick days or vacation days. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid. I am a mom to a 6-year-old and a college freshman, so work-life balance is always hard. Like any working parent, sometimes, things happen and life just gets in the way.
I am definitely my own worst critic, and Imposter Syndrome is a VERY real thing!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
All Kinds of Minds provides Occupational Therapy services in-home/daycare in the Chapin/Irmo area, as well as clinic-based services in downtown Chapin. Currently we see clients ages 0-16 years, but hope to grow to eventually provide telehealth and consulting services to pediatric and adult clients.
Last summer, we had our first social group meeting, Safe Space. Adolescents in the area (some clients, some not), got together to build Legos and connections with other kids like themselves, that they otherwise may not have had the opportunity to meet. It was a huge success and a lot of fun. I have lots of ideas for more groups I would like to have in the future… Stay Tuned!
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Support from the community has been awesome! I have been lucky enough to connect with a number of Early Interventionists and therapists in the area who have sent me lots of referrals.
I have also connected with other local agencies, such as Peaceful Gatherings Nature School, AKOMA Cares, and Limitless Purpose. AKOMA Cares is a homeschool co-op for BIPOC families and All Kinds of Minds is excited to be collaborating with them for the second year in row to help bringing their Neurodiversity Among Us event to Columbia in April.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.allkindsofmindsSC.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allkindsofmindssc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllKindsofMindsSC
- Other: https://medium.com/@AmytheAutisticOT
