Key Takeaways
- Synchrony provides neurodivergent adults a space for authentic connection and real-world support amid social media’s diluted portrayal of neurodiversity.
- The social platform combines interest-based matchmaking with tools like AI coach Jesse to give neurodivergent daters real-world support, confidence, and control.
For neurodiverse daters, support on dating apps must be built from the ground up. This is why Synchrony, which calls itself a “first of its kind social app” for neurodivergent adults, takes a wholesome approach to connection. It’s not just about making matches, but giving daters the tools they need to become socially independent.
“Our mission is to give neurodivergent adults the opportunity to experience the joy of relationships, belonging, and social independence,” according to Synchrony.
This mission is mirrored, albeit in slightly different ways, on platforms like Mattr Social and Wable, which also aim to make socializing easier for neurodivergent adults.
But overall, there’s an abundance of neurodivergent daters looking for love, and very few platforms with the support tools necessary to make these connections a reality. Synchrony wants to change that, starting with its support tools.
Neurodiversity Support Tools Are Also Advocacy Tools
Go to any social media site, and chances are you’ll find a plethora of young people — many of whom, it’s important to note, are undiagnosed — bemoaning their ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and autism.
Somewhere along the way, neurodiversity became a shorthand for quirkiness, which undermines the authentic neurodivergent experience. Professional speaker and autism advocate Russell Lehmann took to Psychology Today to explain the danger of sanitizing neurodiversity on social media.
“Real autism isn’t linear. It isn’t always articulate or endearing,” he said. “That kind of truth doesn’t convert well. It doesn’t fit brand partnerships. And it makes people deeply uncomfortable.” The result? A dearth of support or social platforms built with the authentic neurodiverse experience in mind.
“There’s a real friendship gap for autistic and neurodivergent adults.”
This is especially true when neurodivergent adults lose the social support they once had in school. “As a mom to a 21-year-old with autism, I’ve seen firsthand how hard it is to find friends once formal support disappears,” said Synchrony co-founder Jamie Pastrano. “There’s a real friendship gap for autistic and neurodivergent adults.”
The beauty of sites like Synchrony is that they attempt to fill this gap by creating a platform where neurodivergent adults can be their authentic selves. When these sites are built with the authentic neurodiverse experience in mind, they become vital forms of advocacy, Lehmann said.
“If autism advocacy becomes indistinguishable from influencer culture, where branding outranks building and engagement replaces impact, we lose the very thing we’re supposed to be protecting: our full humanity,” he explained.
And humanity is exactly what Prastrano wants to protect the most. “Human connection has always been the mission,” she explained. “Synchrony is built to give people structure and confidence so real relationships can grow.”
Synchrony Turns UX Into Real-World Support
The difference between a dating app for neurodiverse daters and a full-fledged social support platform is the tools the app provides.
Synchrony and other neurodivergent dating apps, like Mattr Social, attempt to make their UX engaging without overwhelming users who may be easily overstimulated. Synchrony’s interest-based matchmaking is a natural path for connection — a seamless way to find “Sync-mates,” as the platform puts it.
Synchrony graduates to a full-fledged support platform by making sure all members are authentically part of the neurodiverse community. And its tools, including an optional AI social coach named Jesse, helps neurodivergent daters “navigate moments of social uncertainty.”
For neurodiverse daters, the best dating platforms are those that provide actionable, real-world support, not just matches.
AI may be the future of dating apps, but some platforms, like Synchrony, are using it strategically. Instead of using AI as a crutch, Synchrony uses it as a learning tool for IRL connection. Synchrony is, after all, “a human-first social app, created by humans for humans,” the site emphasizes.
In fact, for neurodivergent daters, the best dating platforms are those that provide actionable, real-world support, not just matches. To create the kind of impact that Lehmann mentioned, Synchrony is exploring partnerships with IRL community groups.
Jesse may be optional, but it also serves as an important support tool for users who would benefit from additional guidance. As a result, Jesse helps increase the user’s confidence in their own dating skills so they, too, can have more control over their love lives.
The key word here is control, something we rarely associate with the neurodivergent experience — something Synchrony hopes it will play a part in changing. “You’re always in control,” the app emphasizes on its site. “You choose the level of connection you want.”
