Building an AI Assistant That Helps Parents Navigate Learning Differences

About Understood.org

Understood.org is a nonprofit dedicated to helping parents, educators, and individuals navigate learning and thinking differences like ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia.

 

Their Challenge

Problem 1: Tech debt was slowing them down

Years of accumulated patches resulted in a decentralized architecture that lacked cohesion and needed modernization.

Problem 2: Parents couldn't find what they needed

Overwhelmed parents faced analysis paralysis when faced with thousands of articles when they just needed immediate help with tonight's homework meltdown or tomorrow's IEP meeting.

Father helping son with homework at kitchen table, representing parents supporting children with learning differences like ADHD and dyslexia

By the Numbers:

check3,500+ expert-vetted articles, podcasts, and other Understood-generated content

check20 million annual users

check12+ years serving families

Our Approach

Phase 1: Foundation First

Mid-2022 - Early 2023

Started with platform modernization to fix the immediate technical debt. But we saw bigger opportunities ahead.

Phase 2: Discovery & Education

Summer 2023 - January 2024

  • Embedded ourselves as partners, not vendors
  • 6 months of AI experimentation and prototyping
  • Educated their team on AI's real capabilities
  • Tested initial concepts around IEPs and 504 plans
  • Learned critical lessons about user needs

The Breakthrough

January 2024 Hackathon

Instead of trying to solve everything, we asked one question: How do we help users start a conversation with 3,500 articles?

We built one of the first RAG implementations in the nonprofit space—essentially teaching AI to be a knowledgeable guide.

The Outcome

What We Built

The Understood Assistant launched mid-2024 as an embedded AI guide across their entire website.

This isn't just another chatbot. It understands the nuanced, emotional questions parents ask and connects them with expert-vetted resources housed within Understood’s library through natural conversation.

How We Work

  • Fully integrated partnership model
  • Compoze team members embedded within Understood teams
  • Continuous evolution alongside AI capabilities
  • Building sustainable AI capabilities, not one-off solutions
Understood.org AI Assistant mobile interface showing parent asking how to help child manage emotions, demonstrating the expert-trained chatbot for ADHD and dyslexia support
Compoze Labs didn't just modernize our technology—they became true partners in reimagining how we serve families. Their ability to translate AI capabilities into real value for our users, while working seamlessly with our teams, has fundamentally transformed how we serve our audiences.
Rahul Rao Headshot
Rahul Rao
Co-President & Chief Technology Officer, Understood.org

The Impact

1/2 million parents and educators use the assistant

2x more articles read by assistant users

3x more likely to engage with other offerings

2x higher return rate for assistant users

Looking Forward

As Understood pivots toward actionable guidance in 2026—moving beyond information to changing user behaviors—the assistant has become central to their product strategy.

This partnership shows what's possible when you combine:

  • Genuine mission alignment
  • Deep technical expertise
  • Commitment to solving real human problems

It's not about AI. It's about helping millions of parents better support their children's learning journey.

Parents researching learning resources together on laptop, navigating educational support options for children with learning and thinking differences

Ready to Reimagine How You Serve Your Audience?

If you need a partner who can turn complex content into intuitive AI experiences, reach out to Compoze Labs. We'll help you launch a solution that's human-centered, expert-informed, and built for impact.

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