About four years ago, 15 national level organizations serving families affected by learning disability and related challenges collaborated in an effort to pool their collective knowledge in one website. They recognized that the 1 in 5 who are affected needed a central location to find resources. www.Understood.org was born. As the resource achieved national recognition, families began requesting local groups and resources from Understood. They also wanted opportunities to connect with other families. Understood responded by creating an on-the-ground local resource/outreach program of parent mentors. They were called Parent Fellows.
In March 2018, Lisa Mattheiss, LifeLine’s Executive Director, was appointed Parent Fellow with Understood.org. She is excited to be able to more specifically meet the needs of students, families, and educators in the metro Chattanooga/Northwest Georgia area through this opportunity. Through the Parent Fellow position, Lisa will be holding more training and support events specifically geared for families and educators who may live with challenges associated with Attention Deficits, Sensory Integration Disorders, Executive Function challenges, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Auditory Processing and other related learning disabilities.
We hope that you will check out this great online resource and then join us for the Understood sponsored events. If you have additional questions about learning and attention challenges, local resources, opportunities to connect with other families, or parent/educator training, contact Lisa either through her LifeLine email at lisa.mattheiss @lifelinefamilies.org or via her Understood contact at lmattheiss @understood.org.
What Can I Find on Understood.org?
- National network of parents and advocates
- Online discussion groups around various topics
- “Parents Like Me” features
- Checklists
- Personalized recommendations for your child
- Resources from early childhood through transition
- Expert “chats” and webinars
- Look through “Through Your Child’s Eyes”
- Apps, Games, Assistive Technology
- Accommodations
- Teaching Visuals for Home and School
- Downloadable and Printable Resources for Students, Families, Educators & School Systems