As young as seven years old, I recognized I was not progressing at the pace of my fellow classmates. I vividly remember one of my peers proclaiming he had finished a Harry Potter novel as I struggled to read a picture book with just one simple sentence per page. This was just the first of many frustrating moments in the classroom growing up. Soon thereafter, I was diagnosed with severe Dyslexia and ADHD.

My parents worked tirelessly to get me the academic support that I needed. I was fortunate enough to have a team of personal cheerleaders helping me to build the skills and courage to overcome my challenges in the classroom. It was their encouragement and constant support that got me to where I am today. It was not until much later in life that I truly understood the significance of my learning difference and learned to advocate for myself.

I am one of the lucky ones.

In the United States, 1 in every 5 students struggle with a learning or thinking difference. Yet, support for these conditions today is confusing, expensive, fragmented and in many cases, inefficient. And that’s why we created Parallel.

On behalf of our team and the broader Parallel community, we welcome you to our family and the future of empowered learning.