Mara Julin is creating empathy for neurodivergence through immersive experience.

It’s one thing to read about what it’s like to have ADHD, dyslexia, or dyscalculia. It’s another to feel it — even for a few minutes.

That’s the idea behind Through My Eyes, Understood’s free interactive tool that puts parents, teachers, and classmates in the shoes of a kid who learns and thinks differently. Through a simulation, people can experience what math class feels like for a kid with dyscalculia. Or what it’s like to read words on the board with dyslexia. Or to sit through a lesson with ADHD.

The new tool launched just in time for last year’s school year. And it worked! People who completed the simulation raved about the insights it gave them into the world of the neurodivergent kids in their lives.

But not everyone who visited the landing page found all the incredible resources. Mara Julin, a product manager at Understood, wanted to know why.

Mara and her team pushed for user testing to understand what was preventing users from finding the content most relevant to them. Their direct feedback uncovered a unique insight: Parents and educators didn’t have the same needs. They used the tool differently.

Parents wanted to be guided when they arrived on the page. They didn’t want the mental load of figuring out where to start.

Educators preferred to choose from a menu of resources based on the needs of their classroom.

These insights gained from user feedback let Mara’s team update the product landing page.

They started by giving users a clear first step, right at the top of the page. That made it easier for parents — who often just want to dive in and decide later if it’s right for them.

Then directly below, they set up a package of resources. These are for users like educators, who want to see everything available in a single view and choose what they’re interested in.

After the update, the number of parents and educators who engaged with a relevant resource directly from the landing page jumped from 33% to 41% in just a few months.

Thanks to the work of Mara and her team, every person who explores the videos, simulations, and resources in Through My Eyes walks away with a little more empathy for the kids in their life who learn and think differently. 

That empathy and understanding translate into real benefits: parents who are better able to connect with their kids, and educators who understand how to meet the needs of their students. 

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