Multi-Tiered Media Campaign in Partnership With iHeartMedia Will Launch This Summer, Culminate During Learning Disabilities Awareness Month, and Celebrate Neurodiversity Through Storytelling
New York, June 26, 2023 — Understood.org, a nonprofit organization supporting the 70 million people in the United States with learning and thinking differences like ADHD and dyslexia, announces the launch of “Wired Differently,” a campaign to celebrate neurodiversity and foster a culture of positivity and understanding around learning and thinking differences. While some of us are wired differently, we can all thrive with the right support. To help foster that critically important support, Understood.org’s campaign will center on the lived experience of people who learn and think differently, and provide resources to help navigate the challenges and opportunities of learning and thinking differences.
“Wired Differently” will help individuals and families explore three key areas: finding answers, finding community, and discovering what thriving looks like to them. To help address these focus areas, Understood.org has teamed up with iHeartMedia to launch a national radio campaign that will guide individuals on a journey of discovery: exploring and embracing learning and thinking differences.
The radio campaign, which will launch later this month and span the next four months, will coincide with key moments throughout the year. In partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics, we’ll encourage parents and caregivers to engage in open and honest discussions with their pediatricians during annual pediatricians’ visits — which families often schedule during the summer — about challenges they’re seeing in their child that could be related to learning and thinking differences. During the back-to-school season we’ll focus on finding a sustained community of support. And in October, during Learning Disabilities Awareness Month, we’ll celebrate neurodiversity through storytelling about role models with learning and thinking differences.
All iHeart PSAs will drive listeners to a dedicated campaign website at understood.org/iheart, which will feature a suite of resources and tools tailored to the needs of families and individuals navigating learning and thinking differences. These resources include a Conversation Starter Kit, developed in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics, to help families talk with their pediatrician and other important adults in their child’s life. The campaign will also aim to connect individuals with other families who have similar experiences by inviting them to join the vibrant community on Wunder by Understood®, a free, first-of-its-kind app for families of kids with learning and thinking differences. With this app, families can avoid isolation, find a supportive network, and share their stories.
“Twenty percent of our population have learning and thinking differences like ADHD or dyslexia, but most Americans don’t have a clear understanding of these conditions,” said Nathan Friedman, Understood.org’s co-president and chief marketing officer. “By partnering with iHeartMedia, which reaches 9 out of 10 Americans every month, the ‘Wired Differently’ campaign can share credible information and expert-backed resources so they can better comprehend these differences.”
“iHeart is committed to serving the full diversity of our country, and addressing the critical needs of our listeners is integral to our mission,” said Jessica King, iHeart’s senior vice president of communications and community engagement. “Learning and thinking differences impact millions of people – either directly or through their loved ones — and this campaign is intended to empower those individuals to seek help while also rallying communities to understand and celebrate the differences that make us all unique.”
The “Wired Differently” campaign will take place throughout 2023, and is part of the ongoing commitment of Understood.org to empower individuals with learning and thinking differences to unlock their full potential. Through this campaign, Understood.org and iHeartMedia hope to create a more equitable and understanding world for people with differences.
About Understood.org
Understood.org is a nonprofit focused on shaping the world for difference. We raise awareness of the challenges, skills, and strengths of people who learn and think differently. Our resources help people navigate challenges, gain confidence, and find support and community so they can thrive. Together, we can build a world where everyone can reach their full potential. Understood.org is a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in New York. For more information, to donate, or to partner, visit u.org/media and follow us @UnderstoodOrg.