Below are a few testimonials we have received about our Conferences, Programs and Books. We would love to hear about your experiences with ResearchILD, send us your feedback!

About Our Conferences

“Congratulations on 25 successful years! It’s amazing to see the advancements made in the area of Learning Differences. It’s great to see theory, research and practice coming together. Thank you for all this incredible information!”

“Powerful! Life changing. Invigorating my thinking about teaching and learning. providing a profound sense of “hope”. Shifting from deficit to strength model is universal – applies to parents, teachers, husbands/wives – all relationships.” -Teacher

“This conference has informed my practice more than any other work I’ve done as a principal.” –H.S. Principal

“I’ve learned more in these 2 days than in all my 20 years of teaching. Thank you!” -Teacher

About Our Programs

“The staff in the SMARTS program never cease to amaze me with the work that they do and the work that our students generate. You have to be there to believe it! To see students who are literally transformed through the process of the SMARTS program is inspiring!” -Valerie Spencer, Former Assistant Head, New Mission H.S., Boston, June, 2010

“I've seen a lot of programs come through our schools and SMARTS is by far the best! The SMARTS program brings out the student who is not a discipline issue, who is not the star athlete, those thinkers who don't necessarily get an opportunity to put their ideas out there...students just look and talk differently once they've come through the SMARTS program.” -Valerie Spencer, Former Assistant Head, New Mission H.S., Nov., 2010

“SMARTS has gotten me interested in helping my community. Now that I’m actually solving a problem, actually doing something for the school community, it’s gotten me thinking about going out there and doing something for other people. Like maybe help out my church or start a petition to clean up the city.” -Chris, 9th grader, New Mission H.S.

About Our Books

"From an impressive list of contributing authors, this book goes well beyond the traditional 'frontal lobe metaphor' in describing the executive function construct, challenging its conceptualization as a static, unitary skill. In doing so, the contributors consider the unique roles of brain development, personal experience, and the changing demands and supports in the classroom setting. Not only do Meltzer and colleagues explain the role of executive dysfunction in the classroom, they provide explicit strategies for intervention, with clear teaching examples. Hence, this volume will be a welcome resource for educators, psychologists, and other practitioners." -E. Mark Mahone, PhD, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

"Meltzer has put together a much-needed text addressing the skills involved in high-order thinking. This is a timely volume that speaks to the array of issues in executive processing. The book assembles an excellent cross-section of researchers and clinicians with expertise in both theoretical issues and classroom instruction. This text succeeds in its quest to bridge the gap between research and educational practice." -H. Lee Swanson, PhD, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Riverside

"Finally, a book that clearly describes the significant role that executive function plays in learning! More importantly, this book presents very practical suggestions for effectively teaching students to use their executive functions. The contributing authors are among the leading experts in the field. This book provides a level of specificity on how to improve executive function through the teaching process that is not available in any other source." -Donald D. Deshler, PhD, Center for Research on Learning, University of Kansas

"This timely and much-needed book focuses on executive function (EF) from an educational perspective. While acknowledging that aspects of EF remain poorly understood, the book succeeds in offering practical guidelines and clear examples of how to teach and promote students' use of EF across the curriculum. Clearly, instruction in EF is essential for some students with special educational needs, but emphasis is also given to how EF instruction will benefit all students within inclusive classrooms. This volume will be an excellent addition to the libraries of teachers and psychologists. It will serve as an invaluable resource for discussion in graduate courses in education, educational psychology, clinical psychology, educational neuroscience, and developmental psychopathology." -Rosemary Tannock, PhD, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto; Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children

"This is a very useful book for specialists working with children and adolescents as it brings together research and practice in a readable format." -Schooldays Magazine