Stigma around learning and thinking differences doesn’t just affect kids; it lives in the adults closest to them. Internal research showed that parents of neurodivergent children, despite believing their child’s challenges were real, were still influenced by myths and stigma in ways that prevented them from offering proper support. The brief was to change that.

But before the brief was fully written, I was already at the table. Working closely with the strategy and research team from the outset, I helped shape the strategic framework itself. The result was a campaign built on a genuine creative and strategic unity rather than a handoff.

Neurodivergent kids
need support, not stigma.

The concept we developed put the audience inside the experience: a film told entirely from a neurodivergent child’s perspective, showing her parents dismissing and minimising her differences. Not a spokesperson. Not statistics. A child’s point of view, asking parents to see what she sees.

Every production decision was made in service of authenticity. Real locations over built sets: a family home that felt lived in, not dressed. We collaborated with a neurodivergent director and cast neurodivergent children throughout, including in background roles. The people on screen weren’t performing neurodivergence. They were living it.

Production was planned strategically to extend beyond a single campaign moment — shooting content to sustain six months of programming across social channels.

“Be The Reason” ran as :30, :15, and :06 video spots and digital banners across social platforms. Paid media exceeded all campaign goals: 76 million impressions, 45 million video views, and 25 million video completions — all above nonprofit industry benchmarks.

An independent study found the campaign changed the attitudes of 97,000 parents. It won the Shorty Award for Social Impact and PR Daily’s Nonprofit Communications Award.

CREDITS

Client: Understood.org
Director: Carrie Stett
DP: Christine Ng
CD/Copy: Bill Novak
My role: Strategy, Concept, Campaign development,
Creative Direction, Art Direction