Testimonials
Parent Testimonials
Dr. Steve Imber has received numerous testimonials on behalf of parents and attorneys alike for his expertise in the field of psychoeducation.
I am pleased to take the opportunity to strongly recommend Dr. Steve Imber for any State or Federal case involving children, the education system, the protection of children’s rights and due process.
Dr. Imber is extremely easy to work with and gives new meaning to collaboration; he remains calm, steadfast and focused in very difficult, emotionally charged situations like ours. He was more than an expert in our case, he became an anchor and an objective lens for almost 5 years that our case went on.
Dr. Imber brought a level of experience and insight that trumped the opposing parties expert, his brief clearly gave our case the extra credibility with the Federal court, cascading to the State and local cases. He exhibits a high level of understanding of the education system, children’s rights and the impact when those rights are breached. He is thorough and patient, he took his time and read through and understood every aspect of our case as complex as it was. All of this was laid out flawlessly in his report, connecting causes, inter dependencies and impact within his report and comprehensive write up. His expertise expanded into assessing and contradicting opposing counsel’s expert opinion and assisting with deposition review; clearly an advocate for our children. I don’t believe we would have prevailed as well as we did, resolving all cases if it were not for Dr. Imber.
He is exceptional at what he does while remaining relatable, honest and executing with great integrity. Regardless of a case’s complexity or venue (State or Federal) we highly recommend Dr. Imber.
“I wanted to give you an update to my case and I’m sorry to have to let you know that the attorney appointed for my son provided her recommendations and report, and unfortunately, she said I don’t meet the criteria for a relocation as of now. The judge will also be inclined to agree with her my attorney advised me, since she carries so much weight. I knew this would be an uphill battle and I am of course devastated, as I will still have no emotional support or family here. The Rye school district has really good services and my son is doing well here, so we have to stay put for now.
The good news is that the settlement offered is really good and my son will be living the majority of time with me here in Rye and will have parenting time with his dad every other weekend and possibly increasing to once per week visits.
I want to thank you for all of your hard work thus far! I have enjoyed speaking with you and hearing your jokes – your sense of humor is so comforting and fun and made me forget my difficult situation. I love it!
Should our circumstances change, which I hope they will in the near future, I will definitely reach out to you again for your expertise and assistance when I reapply for relocation and custody modification.
Thank you again, your dedication and experience is much appreciated!”
Heidi Perera November 2023
It is a pleasure to learn of the new access to reach Doctor Imber online. When I returned to graduate school to become certified in Special Education, I was one of Dr. Imber’s students. I found him well informed and diligent in ensuring his students were fully prepared to become special educators. Later, when my family found it difficult to obtain appropriate educational services for one of my grandchildren, we asked Dr. Imber to assist. We were most impressed and pleased with his exceptional knowledge and expertise.
Based on my experience with Dr. Imber, I have referred others to avail themselves of his service. Again, he always came through with improving the child’s educational situation and future. I would like to thank Dr. Imber for his dedication to the educational system and making a difference for numerous children and their families. I will continue to pass along information about his exceptional services.
Respectfully,
Marion Slater
“Dr. Imber is exceptional at what he does! I hired Dr. Imber as an educational consultant while I was undergoing a divorce case that required a decision on school placement. Both my sons were young in age and required in school observations at a preschool and first grade level. Dr. Imber was extremely knowledgeable, engaged and dedicated to my case. I was impressed with the outputs of his services (technical reports, testimonials in court) which in the end helped my children be placed in the school system that was best for their future. I could not be more grateful for Dr. Imber who supported me through a difficult time on a particularly difficult matter. I would highly reccomend Dr. Imber for your educational service needs. Thank you Dr. Imber!”
Massachusetts Parent
I discovered Dr. Imber’s name on the web and called him, thinking I had nothing to lose. He impressed me with his experience right away; He spoke with familiarity about what accommodations may assist my daughter in navigating the challenging master’s level program she was taking at a major college.
He worked with her to develop reasonable accommodations that would benefit her. In addition, he supported her through the institutional resistance posed by the accommodation’s office and faculty. This emboldened her to work harder.
Parent, Anonymous
My case was very unique and I do not believe I could have prevailed without Dr. Imber’s expertise and well reasoned advice. Our west coast judge had said that he would give more weight to local authorities as opposed to non-local, so I had some apprehensions about Dr. Imber at first. However, after I read Dr. Imber’s CV, I was obviously impressed. The quality of Dr. Imber’s reports, his recommendations of which the judge largely adopted, was profound in its depth of understanding of our fact pattern and our overall needs. Also, Dr. Imber worked under very tight deadlines, often times working evenings, weekends, during a vacation, and even on his birthday. Dr. Imber worked with several different mediums: telephone calls, emails, etc, to gather the information and digest it as quickly as he could. Dr. Imber was courteous and professional every minute and it was apparent that he genuinely understood the issues and was concerned for my son. With Dr. Imber’s help, we were able to get my son on the appropriate path to ensure academic success in the future. I cannot think what could or would be more valuable than his assistance in our important project.
Parent, Anonymous
I am writing this letter of recommendation and commendation for Dr. Steve C. Imber, Ph. D. Dr. Imber has just performed the following for my son.
- Conducted a detailed and precise evaluation of my son’s learning abilities and disabilities
- Tested my son in reading, oral language, mathematics and written language
- Provided detailed and documented conclusions
- Provided specific recommendations
- Helped our son to be reinstated as a student with learning disabilities
- Helped our son to get the proper services he so desperately needed to succeed in the future
Dr. Imber has also attended an evaluation team meeting at which he presented the results of his evaluation to the members of the school who had originally questioned and dismissed my son’s learning disability. He then attended the IEP meeting. His participation in both of these meetings was critical to getting our son the proper education he needs to complete high school.
He is a true professional and his credentials speak for themselves. He was very courteous and knowledgeable about the special education laws and regulations and was quick to provide a sense of humor during our battles with the school district when the going got tough.
In closing if you are having a problem with the school providing the proper services for your child I strongly suggest you seek the expertise of Dr. Steve Imber. This is your child’s future at stake.
Parent, Anonymous
Dr. Steve Imber has been an associate member of MASSPAC for about three years. Dr. Imber is a School Psychologist/Advocate based in Rhode Island. I have found him to be extremely helpful, intelligent, and knowledgeable in all areas of Special Education. Dr. Imber has performed extensive math testing on my HFA daughter and produced a quality written report. Dr. Imber has also drafted a most impressive IEP that would meet by daughters needs in all areas. I would highly recommend Dr. Imber to any parent who is experiencing difficulty obtaining FAPE services for their child. Dr. Imber does incorporate classroom observations as well as attend Team Meetings. Please feel free to post my email. I would be more than happy to speak to any parent regarding Dr. Imber and the high quality caliber of his work.
Parent, Anonymous
Dear Dr. Imber,
I wanted to take a moment to formally thank you for your assistance with our son’s educational needs. It was a difficult time for us when we realized that his issues far outstripped our and the public school systems ability to provide for his educational requirements. That was not unexpected. What was a surprise for us was the difficulty in finding competent and informed assistance in providing for his education. Even when we did find qualified and knowledgeable professionals, they often they suffered from “to much” or “too little” syndrome; the unbridled ambition to take over all decisions regarding our son’s situation or the lack of time, interest, or investment to positively impact his educational circumstance.
You have been an exception to “too much” or “too little” syndrome and have struck a perfect balance. Specifically, you have been a major assistance in discerning how our son’s mental health issues impact his educational needs as well as being an active, vocal participant in the development of an effective program in an out-of-district placement that addressed these needs without usurping our parental authority. You have gently and positively been effective and persuasive in obtaining all the programs and materials that have been necessary for our son to flourish. You have been invaluable in your ability to interpret and explain the verbiage, systems, and laws we have found ourselves operating within. The help that you have provided has been a lifeline for us.
The success that our son has been able to achieve is, in great part, due to your incredible depth of knowledge, ability to clarify information for all parties, and diplomatic skills in working with sometimes-adversarial elements. (Certainly not my forte!) A mere thank you is, obviously, woefully inadequate.
With my deepest appreciation,
Parent, Anonymous
Professional & Attorney Testimonials
Dr. Steve Imber has received numerous testimonials on behalf of parents and attorneys alike for his expertise in the field of psychoeducation.
My office retained Dr. Imber for a very sensitive matter regarding alleged negligent supervision in a private school, with related issues regarding the relationship with the school district, the drafting of IEPs, and regulations regarding the Special Education Committee. Dr. Imber’s knowledge and expertise regarding these intricate issues, regulations and customs proved invaluable in evaluating and presenting our defenses.
Timothy G. Tuttle, Esq. Nov 2023
And thanks, Steve Imber, for helping me win my case in ’06 for the unique circumstances for full payment of the IEEs!
Marion King
I am glad to second the Executive Director of the Massachusetts State Advisory Committee’s recommendation of Dr. Imber.
Ours is a new Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) and during our worst of growing pains, Steve Imber was a constant source of guidance and support. Additionally, he visited several times and provided our members with an excellent overview of the Independent Evaluation process. By our standards, his workshop was one of the best attended and many members commented on how much they benefited by it. The presentations were clear and concise, but thoroughly entertaining.
Our PAC is very interested in a bullying presentation as well. I will be sure to let our new officers know that it is in his repertoire. I am sure your PAC will benefit by Dr. Imber’s breadth of knowledge in special education matters. I know ours did!
Should you have any other questions, please let me know.
Bellingham SEPAC
In the Court transcript, Justice Stephen Capineri noted:
“First thing, I was very happy to have heard from Dr. Imber. He is one of the most impressive witnesses that has testified in this courtroom in the two years that I have been sitting here in Kent County. His testimony is clear, concise and very credible and very compelling. It is clear after his testimony that this young lady needs to be at _________private School.”
Judge Capineri awarded joint fees for the adolescent’s education and required both parties to share expenses for Dr. Imber’s evaluation.
Attorney Wm. Balkun
Attorney Robert Crabtree
…your testimony was clearly very helpful to the cause, so thanks again.
Robert K. Crabtree
Kotin, Crabtree & Strong, LLP
Website at www.kcslegal.com
Steve,
Thanks so much for all the time and thought you put into preparing, you contributed a great deal and I greatly appreciated your willingness to testify.
Many thanks for all your work on this issue, especially in such a difficult time.
Attorney Julia Landau
I was asked by Dr. Steve Imber to give you some information about my having worked with him.
Dr. Imber assisted me in a Rhode Island Family Court case in which I wanted to establish for the Court that my client’s daughter needed to attend a particular private school and that the opposing party needed to share in the costs for the child to attend. This issue arose in a bitterly contested divorce, in which the opposing party and the opposing attorney gave us no cooperation or support whatsoever. It was critical for the child’s academic success and psychological wellbeing that she attend the particular school. The opposing party steadfastly refused to support the child or the custodial parent in that decision. The parties shared joint legal custody of their daughter.
Dr. Imber was great to work with because he was committed to being prepared, and he was thoroughly prepared. Dr. Imber met with the child, my client (the primary custodial parent), administered numerous standardized tests, interviewed the head of the school, reviewed records and reports from an evaluating clinical psychologist and attended numerous meetings to gather facts and prepare for court.
The Judge who heard the case commented in his decision that of all the experts who had testified before that judge in the two years he was assigned to that particular court, Dr. Imber was the most impressive, thorough and compelling expert witness he had heard. Dr. Imber’s written report was full of details yet written in a way that educated the Court. We succeed in our proof. The Court also ordered the opposing party to pay a substantial percentage of the doctor’s fees.
I strongly recommend Dr. Steve Imber for any case involving the evaluation, assessment and proof of education matters. I only caution that you need to be prepared for his unique and ever present sense of humor.
Attorney William J. Balkun, Esq.
It is my pleasure to write a reference email for Steve C. Imber, Ph.D. Dr. Imber served as a consultant and an expert witness for a case pertaining to a child with blindness and multiple disabilities. Although evaluating children with blindness is not a special area of expertise he was hired to conduct an independent educational evaluation. He was actually recommended to me by the Head of Admissions of the Perkins School for the Blind because of his work in a prior case.
This case was bifurcated in a Massachusetts Juvenile Court as well as through a Special Education Due Process Hearing.
Dr. Imber’s responsibilities included:
- An initial consultation with me
- A thorough review of the records (very extensive through the Division of Social Services and the LEA)
- Several observations of the child
- Ongoing consultation
- Case analysis
- Report Generation with Conclusions and Recommendations
- His certifications include several areas of special education, school psychology and as an administrator of special education.
He was quite diligent in his preparation for testimony. The Judge at the Juvenile Court conducted a Voie Dire with Dr. Imber and approved additional funding for him to work on the matter through the Due Process Hearing.
Ultimately, Dr. Imber was needed for testimony. His testimony was cogent. He was especially able to handle the cross examination.
Based upon his work, I would recommend him highly,
Anna Eliot, Massachusetts Attorney At Law
It is my sincere pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Steve C. Imber, Ph.D. I have been working with Dr. Imber since November of 2008, when I first recommended to my clients that they utilize his evaluation and consultation services for their child. The parents initiated contact with Dr. Imber in December of 2008 to obtain an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) and the benefit of his subsequent consultation. My clients were primarily concerned about three issues:
- Their child was excluded from an opportunity to participate in inclusive classes;
- The parents believed that their child’s public school was denying their meaningful involvement in the Individualized Educational Program (IEP) process;
- The parents questioned whether their child was making significant progress within her placement in special classes.
Dr. Imber provided the following services:
- He conducted a detailed Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE);
- He consulted with the parents on his results, conclusions and recommendations;
- He participated in two IEP meetings and shared his results with the Team;
- He has served as a consultant and advisor to me as the attorney on record who filed a Due
Process Hearing to address several procedural and substantive concerns that the parents have with regard to their role as participants of the IEP process and their child’s right to a Free,
Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE);
- He has served as a key player with regard to the child’s advisory special education team.
- Dr. Imber has evidenced a clear and specific understanding of the issues involved in the special education needs of my client’s child, as well as a keen interpretation of special education procedures in general, including parental rights relative to Procedural Safeguards. He has distinct expertise regarding independent educational evaluations, eligibility decisions, and countless other special education issues.
Furthermore, beyond his mastery of the subject matter, Dr. Imber is passionate and resolute about the educational rights of children. Dr. Imber has a unique ability to balance professionalism and congeniality. He is polished, masterful and articulate, yet he maintains a lighthearted manner and natural sense of humor. Dr. Imber has the strength and resolve to battle the toughest opponents, while at the same time his good-natured and warmhearted personality puts his clients at ease. Dr. Imber has proved tireless in his efforts to assist me in ensuring that no stone is left unturned in my representation of my client’s due process rights. He is a conscientious and principled advocate for children. His services have been invaluable to the parents as well as to me as legal counsel.
I recommend his services with the utmost confidence in his knowledge, experience, and dedication to his field.
Sincerely,
Attorney Laurie Martucci
Wagner Law Associates
