Coyne Speech & Audiology was honored to be featured in the Brighton Connections magazine! See below for full text from the interview.
BROOKE AND JIM COYNE: IMPROVING ACCESS TO GOOD COMMUNICATION
BY VIENNA MCGRAIN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH SALVILLA
Providing accessibility to those who most need hearing and speech assistance is one of the cornerstones of Jim and Brooke Coyne’s mission. As professionals in the field for more than two decades, the audiologist and speech language pathologist, respectively, have made it their goal to not only advocate for the importance of caring for one’s health—but also to destroy stigmas surrounding failing hearing and communications issues.
The husband-and-wife clinicians at Coyne Speech and Audiology in Brighton quite literally bring their expertise to their clients with a unique mobile service that ensures access for their patients’ hearing and communication needs. Each day, the Coyne’s appointments involve driving to residential homes, schools, and other healthcare settings to provide assessments, treatments, and rehabilitation in an atmosphere that’s most comfortable for their clients.
“Most other audiologists and speech language pathologists have a brick and mortar office. And many of these traditional offices are booked solid, making it difficult for people to make appointments. Our whole model is built around trying to improve access,” says Brooke. “So, we go wherever our patients and clients are, whether that’s in their living room or at their kitchen tables. I also go to schools, daycares, and assisted living facilities. I’ll even meet people at public libraries. We want to help as much as possible.”
Jim added that once people realize they are truly being cared for in their own homes, “they really love it. This also gives us the opportunity to get to know what people need to thrive in their own environments, in real life contexts, when it comes to their hearing and speech. As clinicians, we also have the luxury of spending quality time with our clients.”
The Coynes provide professional hearing and speech guidance based on a variety of needs including working with people who stutter or have articulation difficulties, clients who are recovering from strokes or accidents, people on the autism spectrum, those who need help with the nuances of social language, or using language in different contexts, or those needing hearing assessments or hearing devices.
“I think the general public’s awareness as it relates to communication disorders is improving,” says Brooke. “More and more, I’m seeing proactive parents who are really advocating for the needs of their children in these areas. They see their child struggling and they want to help them sooner, rather than later. The ‘wait-and-see’ approach is falling to the wayside. They want to get the ball rolling.”
There are challenges, however, according to Jim. He believes that although the rise in over-the-counter hearing aids increases access to better hearing, it also causes some confusion.
“Ninety percent of people who require hearing aids need prescriptions,” he says. “Prices vary greatly and the benefits you get from different types of hearing aids is all over the place. That’s why it’s important to be assessed by a professional.”
Jim also says that “hearing aids are actually really cool,” citing the infusion of new technologies such as Bluetooth connectivity to bring the sounds of YouTube videos, FaceTime, or Spotify from phones or laptops directly to ear canals.
The Coynes met as students at SUNY Geneseo. Brooke was introduced to the field through a course in communicative disorders, where she learned about stuttering, and earned her master’s degree from Buffalo State University. Jim, who was a biology student but didn’t know what he was going to do with his degree, eventually followed Brooke into audiology. After all, love can be motivational. After graduation and a short-lived career as an insurance salesperson, Jim earned advanced audiology degrees from Hofstra and Salus universities.
After living on Long Island and New Zealand, for a touch of adventure, the Coynes moved to Brighton, where they have lived for 14 years. The couple has three children; Donovan, 12; Roxanna, 10; and Patrick, 8.
“There is so much community in Brighton,” says Brooke. “Everything is walkable; we love living in a place with streetlights and sidewalks. And we love our neighbors. It’s just an overall great community.”
“The older houses in Brighton, with their architecture and mature trees, speak to us,” added Jim