You Are Not Alone: How REEL Supports 2e Families

This article was originally published in the GHF newsletter.

Looking around the Los Altos Community Center on a sunny March weekend afternoon, I observed hundreds of parents and children moving from booth to booth at REEL’s Strengths Fair - a community gathering designed to connect families with strengths-based schools, clinicians, and enrichment providers - searching for the right fit, building connections, and discovering new possibilities. 

What we saw at the fair and in conversations at our booth reflected the same questions we hear from families every day: Where do I start? What kind of school will understand my child? Who can help us navigate this? The Strengths Fair wasn’t just a one-day event - it was a snapshot of the ongoing support families are seeking, and the very reason REEL exists.

It took me back to my own journey raising two twice-exceptional (2e) learners, and why I co-founded REEL with Callie Turk. Our children attended the same local public elementary school: bright, curious, and full of potential, but never quite fitting the mold. My son could speak about his interests with an adult’s depth, yet struggled to translate those ideas onto paper. He found friendships and playground dynamics confusing, often gravitating toward teachers instead of peers. The IEP services he received didn’t tap into his strengths or interests, and he resented being pulled from engaging classroom activities to attend them. There was no place in his school day where what lit him up truly had room to grow. We kept asking ourselves: were other families navigating the same disconnect?

Callie and I brought together a group of parents, spanning grades K–12 and a wide range of diagnoses, and set out to create a simple “Introduction to 2e” one-pager. What surprised us was how quickly we coalesced on a few core messages we wanted educators to hear: start with strengths; approach each child with curiosity and empathy; stay flexible in the face of asynchrony; and prioritize real collaboration and connection - with parents, the broader team, and the student themselves.

Teacher by teacher, I began to see small shifts for my own child. One teacher invited him to build a project around his imagined bear world; another moved away from an “ignore your questions if you didn’t catch it the first time” approach. Bit by bit, we made progress with educators and administrators, opening the door to a more nuanced understanding: that a student can be both bright and deeply asynchronous, with strengths and learning differences that need to be supported at the same time.

Then COVID hit, and with schools understandably stretched thin, we shifted our focus to online events for parents. What had once drawn 20 attendees in person now attracted hundreds, eager to hear experts on anxiety, self-advocacy, IEPs and 504 plans, strength-based learning, and school options. Today, our Signature Speaker Series continues to bring in experts on topics chosen by our community, drawing a robust audience and sparking engaging Q&A sessions. The response was strong and growth followed organically.

REEL then launched a parent Google Group to help families connect, ask questions, and share advice - and this week, it reached 1,000 members! The group is alive and supportive with conversations ranging from finding peers with shared interests to navigating dyslexia strategies and autistic burnout. For many parents, simply realizing they’re not alone brings a sense of relief and community.

For parents seeking more connection, REEL hosts a bi-monthly Zoom parent support group with breakout rooms organized by age and diagnosis. We also offer a wide range of resource guides and articles on topics from IEPs and assessments to local school options and curated provider resource listings. As a nonprofit, REEL is able to provide all of these resources at no cost, thanks to our generous donor community. The only offerings we charge for are personalized 1:1 consultations and small facilitated discussion groups for parents who want more individualized support.

For educators, REEL provides professional development, including immersive learning difference simulations and vignette-based workshops, grounded in our DEAR REEL Model - a more comprehensive evolution of our original one-pager framework. We develop educator resources in collaboration with our Educator Advisory Group and continue to share our work at conferences nationwide.

“Did you know that 95% of objects orbiting Earth are space junk?” asked an enthusiastic student at our Birds of a Feather interest tables during the Strengths Fair. Kids gathered to showcase their passions and strengths to other families - ranging from Legos and Pokémon to acoustic guitar and book writing. In other settings, these children might struggle to connect, but here they were recognized as experts and leaders, admired by the kids circling their booths.

It turns out, 10 years later, we weren’t alone after all. Other parents are navigating the same challenges, seeking connection, community, understanding, and support. Looking around the Strengths Fair that day, at the smiling faces of children and the quiet relief on their parents’ faces, it was clear they were finding it too.