Ensuring diverse learning experiences through multimedia storytelling

Photo courtesy of Ron Lach on Pexels

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the United States, many young people struggled with new virtual routines, a lack of learning support, and the loss of extra-curricular activities. This impacted mental health across the country, and more so for children with learning differences such as ADHD or dyslexia.

For these children, increased empathy among peers, teachers, and parents helps contribute to their emotional well-being and mental health. That’s why Understood.org, a US-based not-for-profit organisation that helps children with learning and thinking differences embrace their full potential, is taking a creative approach to raising awareness.

Understood.org will soon launch a digital interactive hub called ‘Through My Eyes’, which illuminates the diverse experiences of students with learning differences and aims to use storytelling to transform attitudes and behaviours. Its online hub will include a series of videos, podcasts, and articles that highlight what students with learning differences need to thrive, emphasizing the importance of racial and economic equity. 

“Our work supports neurodivergent individuals and the educators who serve them, and helps dispel misinformation about learning and thinking differences,” says Understood.org’s co-president Nathan Friedman. “This is critical to helping parents and teachers understand the lived experience of someone who learns and thinks differently.”

Indeed, the hub will include resources specifically tailored to teachers, like classroom discussion guides, digital lessons for one-on-one or whole-class engagement, and podcasts for other teachers. For families, the hub will include tools for understanding their children, facilitating healthy communication with educators, and strategies for mental health.

“We are excited to partner with Understood.org to create a new digital experience for young people with learning and thinking differences,” says Heather Graham, the director of Oak Foundation’s Learning Differences Programme. “We believe that by leveraging the power of storytelling, we can create a more inclusive and equitable world for these students.”

Oak supports Understood.org as part of an initiative with eight exceptional organisations aiming to improve mental health for students with learning differences, specifically focusing on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and those who are furthest away from opportunity due to racism and poverty. SEL teaches children and adults how to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, achieve goals, show empathy, maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible decisions. This article is the first part of a four-part series highlighting the innovative projects of some of these partners focusing on SEL. Stay tuned for more throughout the year!

Oak supports Understood.org through its Learning Differences Programme, which commits its resources to partners rethinking teaching and learning to ensure that educational systems unlock each student’s creativity and power, regardless of learning differences, race, income, or other personal identifiers. To read more about the programme’s updated strategy, click here. To learn more about Understood.org, click here.