"I wanted to take a moment to share with you just how very special I think your work, and you, are. I have now been watching your classes for at least a couple of years. I am truly struck by your care and nurturing of the many kids who you teach and mentor.
As a pediatrician, I am sensitive to developmental issues in children. It has been fantasic to see your tender nurturing of the children in your classes. I have seen, right before my eyes, amazing development of self-confidence, increased self-control, improved self-awareness of body, ability to work with others, and joy. While I am absolutely confident that your work over the years has been extremely helpful to Rachel and Josh, I also know that your kind, but persistent and consistent manner, has been most helpful for many of the other kids as well.
So, in short, I just wanted to say thanks. I suspect that like many of us in the helping professions, there are probably times that you "wonder" what it's all about and what good you're doing (I certainly know I do at times!). The simple answer is that you are contributing, in a direct and substanstial way, to the well-being of some rather challenging children. And for that, I am most grateful, both as a parent, and a fellow human being."
Emory Petrack, MD, FAACP, FACEP
President
Father of Rachel and Josh
"On behalf of the Coalition and the Hudson community, I want to thank you so much for your wonderful presentation on social skills training for children. It was so interesting to learn about this very important issue for our children with special needs. You have so much compassion for our children, and we are truly grateful to you for sharing your insights and expertise.
Again, thank you for your excellent presentation. We appreciate your time and support for our Children's Mental Health Week. We hope that we can keep in touch with you in the future."
Mary Ann Shawcross
"Thanks very much for your recent presentation to our support group for ADHD families.
Those who attended seemed impressed by the wealth of helpful, practicla information that you provided about succeeding at homework. It was evident that you have an intuitive understanding of the particular challenges faced by families of kids with ADHD. I included some of your suggestions in the May edition of the group newsletter, which we distribute to our entire ADHD mailing list..
We sincerely appreciate your willingness to contribute your time and professional knowledge to the families who participate in our ADHD group."
Megan Rochford
Program Coordinator
Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to conduct the Learning Styles Workshop for Shaker parents of children with special needs. You have a very nice style with presentations, relaxed but very organized and informative. You're very quick on your feet and have an abundance of information at your fingertips. The parents were most appreciative of having the benefit of your wisdom, knowledge, and experience! In fact, you inspired some on the committee to hatch a plan to try to bring Mel Levine to the Cleveland area in the near future!
Wishing you much success with your new Learning Center!"
Holly Palda
Parent Mentor
“We have been working with Michelle Martin for just about six years. She combines sensitivity and knowledge of the issues faced by kids with social and learning issues with a genuine affection for them. Our son leaves his karate session tired, happy – and successful in both improving his own skills and in improving his interactions with other people. “
Greg and E.B. Donley
Parents of Andrew, age 13
“Michelle Martin’s Tae Kwon Do program has been a wonderful experience for my son, Spencer. He began taking the class when he was 8 years old, and in the past five years, he has made astonishing progress. Now a brown belt, Spencer has gained physical strength and improved coordination, but the most gratifying growth has been in his confidence and self-esteem. I highly recommend this outstanding program and its talented creator and instructor, Michelle Martin.”
Laura S. Bell
Mom of Spencer, age 14
“We enrolled out son in the Ja-Shin-Gam, Karate for Confidence, class in the Fall of 2002. We weren’t sure what to expect as many of the extracurricular activities he’d tried in the past lead to failure. His inability to attend, understand and use language as well as social immaturity made it difficult for him to participate with his peers in basketball clinics, baseball teams or swimming lessons. After 18 months of classes our son passed 4 levels of this martial arts program earning him a blue belt in December 2003. What is more, our son has been accepted, nurtured and encouraged. He has learned to follow directions, work with other children and show respect to the instructor and his classmates. Most importantly he is learning in what to him is not a ‘therapy’ session. The social skills portion of the class is like a brainstorming session and the physical part of the class is fun. For a child who has spent 9 of his 10 years of life in a variety of therapies this class has been perfect! Our son is gaining important life skills while building muscle and character at the same time. We are thankful to have found Insight Learning and Wellness Center.”
Heidi Karthan
Mom of Alex, age 10
“It is amazing to me the amount Simon has learned in your classes. I never expected so much progress. He must have been ready for this type of interaction. He has been extremely polite and just wonderful to be around. Keep up the good work.”
Cindy Oakley
Mom of Simon, age 10
“Karate has been a great experience for David. He has really enjoyed it and learned so much. Karate to David is about discipline, confidence and respect; and not about ‘chopping and kicking.’ Michelle Martin has been a wonderful teacher for David and we are all delighted that he’s involved in the program.”
Sally Hirsh
Mom of David, age 8
“Tiger Tots has helped our son to become more balanced and in control of his body. Getting stronger physically and learning to rely on inner strength has increased his confidence and self-esteem. The repeated emphasis on respect, discipline, patience, and perseverance in the class has wonderfully reinforced teachings at home.”
Mom of Tiger Tot student
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