Testimonials

I am so appreciative of your good work in this school district. There is no way that Sam could have come so far without your intervention. You saved this boy from a road of disaster. I have learned so much from you.

We are just so fortunate to have you as our child’s consultant. Your understanding and thoughtful work on his behalf has been a vital and stabilizing force in his education. We love working with you and look forward to your continued involvement.

Raising a child with a significant disability can be wonderful; it can teach you the value of celebrating small steps, and recognizing the strength and determination that each of our children possess.   It can also be overwhelming.  There are so many battles to fight, and so many opinions to hear, it sometimes makes you doubt yourself and the choices that you have made for both you and your child.  There is a saying that, “love lights up the world.”  In a world that can be full of doubt, full of discrimination, and full of adversity, Judy Itzkowitz has been our light.  She has been a sounding board, a confidant, and an incredible advocate for my child and the numerous other children she has met in her 26 years as an educational consultant.  She has given me information, tools, support, and an incredible dedication to support my son as an individual.  Judy has been a constant reminder to never give up, never stop fighting for my son, and never stop dreaming.  She possesses the knowledge and the undying advocacy that we all need for our children.  She has always treated my son with dignity and fought to give him every opportunity that he deserves.  As a result of knowing Judy, I am empowered to continue to fight for my child, and to teach the world about acceptance and breaking through stereotypes.  I will continue to dream for him, and fight to help him become the person that he wants to be.  This is a result of Judy’s knowledge, patience, and unrelenting support in regards to creating an appropriate school program for my son and facilitating his growth as an individual in all areas of life.

Compassionate, great communicator, relationship builder, advocate, and facilitator are just a few adjectives that describe Dr. Judy Itzkowitz.  Dr. Judy’s services to our school district were invaluable. As an educational consultant, Dr. Judy was the core and backbone to a very complex student centered team that was comprised of parents, school staff, educational consultants, and medical personnel. Through Dr. Itzkowitz’s facilitation, the team collaboratively worked together to enable the student to access all aspects of the public school curriculum and experience. Dr. Judy’s professionalism and thoroughness is second to none.

I had been dealing with my school system for many years since my son was five years old.  We had our ups and downs, not always in agreement but I always took the opportunity to meet and discuss issues when they arose. When he turned 10 years old we had come to an impasse.  He had been in a self-contained classroom in our neighborhood school.  I felt like this was not allowing him the exposure to the best resources that his neighborhood school would have, the local kids. They needed to really know him and not just see him passing in the hall.  At that time we were very fortunate that the school found a teacher who was very supportive and interested in having him integrated into his class. In order to do it thoughtfully the district allowed us to have an educational consultant involved.

It was our good fortune that they had decided to have Dr. Judy Itzkowitz involved in this process. She is not only very knowledgeable and insightful; she has a very nice, caring and kind demeanor. I found that she took the time to thoroughly assess the situation and make changes that made a big difference for my son, while not making the teachers feel overwhelmed. The balance that she was able to keep during our meetings was key to the success of her consulting. We were all truly a team and that was the first time I really felt like an equal partner in planning for his academic success.

Judy has a gift of being able to turn a potentially adversarial situation into a win-win situation. She found ways to support the school staff so they were invested in the entire process. She also has a way of explaining the big picture, which excites everyone when posing the possibilities.

In our situation Judy was creative, collaborative and dependable. We could not have dreamed of a better outcome. The staff at school who were initially resistant, were proud of how they learned how to modify and included my son in a meaningful way.

My son benefited immeasurably from Judy’s involvement. He is now seen by everyone as a contributing part of the student body of his school, rather than a student that they are allowing into the class. He has modified work that is always directly related to the subject matter of the day so he can be totally involved. He looks forward to school everyday and likes discussing what he has learned.

My son was the first student to be fully included in kindergarten at this neighborhood school in 1998. It wasn’t without serious consequences. Our school district let him into the classroom but those school staff attitudes of belonging didn’t exist for him. Each time I discussed our school issues with any state resource agency that would listen, Dr. Itzkowitz’s name surfaced. I heard it over and over again that she was the person my son needed in his circle. I was able to convince our school district to bring her on board in 2002. My heart felt like it was jumping out of my chest when I was finally able to speak with her on the phone. I was so very nervous trying to explain the problems that I barely made good sense. She understood my garbled issues. It was a difficult journey working with a school district that was not disability, parent or consultant friendly.

Dr. Itzkowitz established a trusting working relationship with my son and has supported him for the past eleven years. She is kind, patient, nonjudgmental, and brilliant. There is never a challenge too big. Dr. Itzkowitz has worked tirelessly to help my son’s dream of attending college become a reality. He currently is the first student from CT with Down syndrome to attend a four-year university. As my son says “If you have a problem, call Dr. Judy” and he often does, not me.

The futures planning you facilitated continues to influence our lives… Thanks for stimulating our thinking and planning for the future.

Thank you for your comprehensive report and recommendations. I feel that the information was very well received by the team. I would like to extend on behalf of the team our gratitude and appreciation to you for your efforts in regards to Stephanie.

Your report on Susan was great. Let me say I like the way you operate.

The professionalism that Dr. Itzkowitz presents is evident. She does not take anything for granted. She is always well prepared to moderate each session and ensures that each specialist has their concerns addressed. It is obvious that our working group highly values her knowledge. Her written reports thoroughly capture the progress and areas for study. The access to various proven examples, literature, guides, and personal experiences are invaluable. The IEP we are writing with the COACH method will be a viable and measurable document for this student who is quite able academically albeit academically behind her peers in most areas… I honesty fell that the team was able to keep my child included in their home school because of the support they received from this external consultant.

Dr. Itzkowitz’s commitment to improve the quality of life of individuals with differing abilities is clearly evident. Throughout her training, she maintained a positive attitude – often in the face of skepticism and criticism by some of the participants. At times, their conduct was trying. Nonetheless, Dr. Itzkowitz maintained her perspective, was encouraging, and remained non-judgmental. She focused on values. In the end, she won people over.

Maybe it would help to know that you are always in our hearts and when I really need to be strong, I think of you and all that you have taught me. You have changed the way I see the world. That’s not an easy task, but you have the gift… You can’t help but take something special away when in your presence.

Thanks for helping me get the most out of school and for helping me to grow up to be a nice young lady!!

The training on LRE was superb and first rate. I am looking forward to attending the follow up sessions. I would also like to thank you for taking the time to answer questions. Your input and insight was extremely helpful. You are such a talented and devoted professional – the families that you work with are very fortunate. Thank you once again for providing me with such a stimulating and enriching training session.

You provide us with a path. One that is based on the truth, the reality of the situation. Not always a well received concept. You help us see the potential of our children and how to get there. Not the least parental participation. The “roll of lifesavers” is incomplete with the parent and that is very difficult for parents to accept. Bravo for making us take a second look.

I want to thank you for advocating for me all these years. You will always be a part of my family.

We all really appreciate all of your hard work and dedication to our team. You’ve helped to make things much smoother and more enjoyable.

Thanks for all of your insight and support these past few years, particularly with our very difficult case. I know you have helped improve the quality of the program for the students in our town as well as facilitating difficult communication.

In all my years of teaching, you are one of only a few people I’ve taught with who has integrity.

Hi Judy thank you again for honestly just being you!

Thanks so much for listening today and for giving me such good advice. I know you have a lot going on in your own life and I really appreciate you taking the time to help me through this difficult situation. Thank you for helping to maintain the light both in my life and my son’s life. We are grateful for your friendship, your integrity, and your compassion. I hope that one day, we can find a way to repay you for all your support.

Just wanted to thank you again for all your support. You have really been the only person that has been there for us consistently during this difficult time. It wasn’t your responsibility or your job, but you have worn many hats…. an educational consultant, an advocate, a sounding board, and a friend. You have talked me down when I have been upset, reassured me when I have been overwhelmed, and given me direction when I feel lost.

For all those things, we are grateful. In both my son’s eyes and my eyes, you are part of our family.

Dr. Itzkowitz has worked extremely well with both staff and parents. Her efforts always have what is best for the student as the guiding principle.

Dr. Itzkowitz’s expertise in planning and discussing the appropriate components needed to ensure a meaningful and successful educational program for our son was invaluable. She always demonstrated a willingness to listen to new ideas and was respectful of input provided to her by all team members, including us as parents. Her commitment to maintaining an open line of communication with people contributes to her excellence as an educational consultant and teacher… I know that she has been asked on more than one occasion to get involved in situations that were quite challenging and where there were differing opinions between families and school personnel. She has worked successfully with individuals who have exhibited some significantly challenging behavior, students and professionals alike. I am impressed with Dr. Judy’s ability to consistently maintain a positive attitude when challenges present themselves.

Dr. Judy, you are my role model.