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In It

About the podcast

The In It podcast looks at the ups and downs of supporting kids who learn and think differently. Hosts Rachel and Gretchen talk with parents and teachers about challenges in reading, math, and more. They also get into tough topics, like homework battles and behavior challenges.

Visit the show page

Meet the hosts

Gretchen Vierstra brings over 20 years of experience in education to her role as co-host of the In It podcast. She’s a former teacher with a passion for creating resources that help serve all students in the classroom. As a mom of two kids, she offers her own perspective and tips on parenting, education, and more.


Rachel Bozek spent 10 years as an editor at Nickelodeon Magazine, focusing on activities and content for kids and tweens. As co-host of In It, she shares her own stories about parenting two kids with ADHD. In each episode she offers insight, advice, and tips.

Get to know Gretchen and Rachel

Dr. Sasha Hamdani

ADHD TikTok 101 with Dr. Sasha Hamdani

Many kids and teens go to TikTok for information on ADHD. But is everything they find on TikTok legit? How can we help our kids navigate TikTok?

Lizzie Acker

Celebrating neurodiversity with The Great British Baking Show’s Lizzie Acker

What’s it like to be on reality TV when you’ve got ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia? Just ask Lizzie Acker from The Great British Baking Show.

Juliana Urtubey

Joy and justice with Juliana Urtubey, National Teacher of the Year

How can we make learning joyful? How can we build schools that include and celebrate all kids, families, and communities? 

Emily Kircher-Morris

What is neurodiversity? An interview with the host of “The Neurodiversity Podcast”

The term “neurodiversity” seems to be everywhere right now. But what exactly does it mean? And how does it apply to kids who learn and think differently?

Audience reach

In It launched in December 2018. Since then, the audience has grown significantly. The show now averages 14,000 downloads per month across all audio platforms. In It has over 315,000 total downloads, with an additional 14,500 views on YouTube. Each new episode gets around 3,000 downloads within 30 days of publishing.

Who’s listening?

In It listeners include parents, teachers, and others who want to learn more about supporting kids who learn and think differently. Most In It listeners are based in the United States. Gender (based on Spotify data from 10/12/23)

  • 82% Female

  • 14% Male

  • 3% Not specified

  • 1% Nonbinary

Age (based on Spotify data from 10/12/23)

  • 0–17 = 1.25%

  • 18–22 = 3.45%

  • 23–27 = 6.49%

  • 28–34 = 15.04%

  • 35–44 = 40.19%

  • 45–59 = 29.51%

  • 60–150 = 3.1%

In It listeners include parents, caregivers, teachers, physicians, and those who want to learn more about supporting kids who learn and think differently. The majority of In It listeners are based in the United States.

Episode promotion: What’s possible 

Each new episode of In It is available across all major podcast platforms. This includes Audible, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. They’re also posted on the In It show page at Understood.org. The Understood.org site gets more than 20 million visitors a year.

Social media marketing

New episodes of In It are shared across all of Understood’s social channels. Worldwide, Understood has 785,000 followers, with 500,000 of those followers coming from the United States.

Email marketing

In It is promoted through our email marketing. This include a network of more than 500,000 email subscribers.

How it works

In It’s producer works with each confirmed guest to schedule a one-hour recording session. All recordings can be done remotely. And we ship an audio kit to any guest who doesn’t already have a USB mic and headphones to use during the recording. Most of our In It recordings are audio-only. But sometimes, we may invite guests to record video as well. The video element is always optional. All guests are required to sign a release form.

Interested in collaborating with In It?

If you’re interested in sharing your story on the podcast, or if you have any other comments/inquiries, reach out to us at init@understood.org.

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