My tutor, Ilene Davison, has acted as a mentor for me for years. In second grade I began to meet with Ilene, and have continued to today. Ilene has had a massive impact on my life, shaping my desire for academic rigor and honing my academic capabilities. When I began to meet with Ilene, I hated going and disliked school, but over the years through her mentorship, this view has changed. Today, I see my academic success and devotion to the school, in large part, to be a result of her mentorship. This has made Ilene extraordinarily memorable in my life. When I look back on my time in school, both middle and high school, I cannot envision what I would have been like without the help and mentorship Ilene provided.
Leffell School Student
Our son started working with Ilene during the pandemic as he began to transition to a far more rigorous school. Starting in 3rd grade (he now is in 5th), she has been instrumental in bringing him up to grade level in a very challenging IB program. Wherever we have discovered holes in his academic progress, she has deftly filled those holes while simultaneously challenging him to reach higher. She is patient but rigorous, exceptionally kind, and an exemplary partner to us and his teachers. He has had a challenging academic journey, but that journey simply would have been impossible without Ilene’s grace and determination. We will look back on these years with gratitude for the blessing of Ilene’s presence in our lives.
Whitby School parent
Ilene Davison is amazing. Her skilled caring and non-nonsense approach has enabled our sons to excel, despite their significant learning challenges. Over the years, Ilene has become our boys’ most trusted academic advisor, sounding board and support. Our boys view her as a mentor as well as their tutor. As parents, we are supremely grateful for Ilene’s partnership and the guidance and instruction she has provided to our children.
Leffell School parents
Our middle son spent years pulling his aptitude in various subjects to the surface where it could shine. Prone to disorganization and a lack of interest in some of the daily slogs of school, he was struggling. Enter Ilene before he started 6th grade (he now is in 8th), and he simply blossomed. Ilene epitomizes what many schools and teachers preach but are unable to deliver – meet the child where they are. Because of her ability to connect, challenge and, yes, at times cajole, he now performs at an exceptionally high level. More importantly, he appreciates the academic process and enjoys learning far more than prior to Ilene’s involvement. She is a gem who has completely transformed his scholastic experience.
Rye County Day School parent
Dear Ilene,
Thank you for all the help over the years. I really thank you for helping me with my projects, weekly word problems in math, Puerto Rico project and so many other things. Also thank you for helping me to write reading responses to my teacher, Mrs. Kline, for all the books that I read. I really enjoyed doing that with you. I am sure that she is happy that I did them with you because she said that I improved. My favorite assignment we worked on together was current events because I learned a lot about politics and then I could have good conversations my father. Over the years I think that you have really helped me with every subject, especially my reading and writing. I promise, as I leave you, that I will try hard in school and build on all the things you taught me. I will also visit sometime soon.
Ilene transformed our son’s educational experience! He’s reached his potential because of her intervention and due diligence. She made sure he received the services he needed, came with us to CSE meetings, met with the providers, etc, and fully prepared his teachers to teach to his learning style so that he could grasp the content. After years of working with Ilene, whatever she recommended we said “amen”. She clearly knows what she is doing, and has always steered us in the right direction. Without Ilene’s careful attention to detail, our son would have fallen through the cracks. As his needs changed, Ilene was on top of the situation.
Schechter Westchester parents
As a teacher who has had the good fortune to work with Ilene, I can honestly say that her vast expertise in the field of special education empowers teachers and parents to reach the best of outcomes for the students. She addresses each concern and question with full and continuing consideration. She regards each child’s strengths and potential and guides a course of action based on all available resources. Ilene understands the issues from all perspectives and provides steady reassurance that success can be achieved.
Elementary School Teacher
When we realized that our son was struggling with attentional issues in school, we had no idea what to do or where to start. Ilene expertly guided us through the entire process, including his psycho-educational evaluation, the implementation of strategies in school and at home, evaluating the pros and cons of medication, and creating his 504. Ilene did it all with skill, candor and compassion. Just as important, she taught us how to advocate for our son and insure he receives the support he needs. The improvement in our son since we began working with Ilene is amazing. Not only is he doing well in school, but he is happy and self-confident. None of this would have happened without Ilene’s involvement. We cannot thank her enough!
RPL, parent of child with ADHD
I have worked with Ilene Davison over many years in her capacity as the director of special education services at the Solomon Schechter School of Lower Westchester. To the meetings with the parents of children I had evaluated, Ilene’s compassion, insight and extensive knowledge always resulted in a thorough understanding of the child’s needs and a clear plan to meet them. Ilene’s dedication to the students and families she served was readily apparent and her program at the school provided superior level services. I have no doubt that Ilene brings the same skill and dedication to her work as an educational consultant.
Glenn Kreielsheimer, PhD, Clinical Psychologist
I had the privilege of working with Ilene when she was the Director of Special Education at Solomon Schechter of Westchester. There she had created what I considered to be the premier special education program amongst private schools in Westchester County. She established, by far, one of the most effective reading remediation programs housed in a school setting.
I now have the benefit of her expertise as she works with private clients as their educational consultant, advocate, and learning specialist. Ilene collaborates closely with me so that the results of my neuropsychological findings are optimally executed as she contributes her own wisdom and expertise to the findings and recommendations. In both settings, I have been truly impressed by the respect, clarity and compassion with which Ilene interacts with her clients.
Dr. Cori Scalzo, Board Certified Neuropsychologist
Working with Ilene has without a doubt made me a better teacher. She is an invaluable resource to teachers, as she possesses a wealth of expertise, experience and skill. She has helped me to identify and meet the needs of my students using a wide variety of learning strategies. A true professional, Ilene’s approach is always one of respect and true collaboration.
AR, teacher
During the summer of 2012, Ilene Davison presented two fascinating workshops entitled “Kindergarten 101” to parents of children at our day camp who were entering kindergarten in the fall. The workshop was fantastic and our parents told us that her presentation was insightful and eye-opening, and served to demystify the transition from pre-school to kindergarten. Ilene is a consummate professional who was easy to work with and clearly demonstrated expertise in her field. We are excited to offer Ilene’s informative workshops to parents again in the summer of 2013.
Julie Rockowitz, Camp Director, Beth El Synagogue
Ilene was a tremendous help to our twin daughters throughout their elementary school years. When the girls’ teachers suspected they may have learning issues, Ilene helped us assess each of their needs and created individual programs to support them. When they transitioned into middle school, Ilene helped us identify the services appropriate for each girl. Ilene is extremely professional and sensitive to both children and parents and we always felt comfortable sharing all information with her. We’ll always be grateful for her support and we’ll stay connected to her long after our daughters’ formal education is completed.
L&G, former Solomon Schechter School parents
Ilene Davison is a consummate professional. I have worked with Ilene for over 25 years. Ilene is always thoughtful, respectful of both parents and children, collaborates actively, and knows the field of learning differences. When I refer families to Ilene for consultations and remedial support (as I often do), I have complete confidence in her judgment and her clinical skill.
Kenneth Barish, PhD, Weill Medical College, Cornell University
Over the course of many years, I have had the privilege of benefitting from Ilene’s talents, both as a parent and as a teacher. As the parent of a child in her school, Ilene worked with me when my son struggled with the curriculum and pace of learning. She was a tremendous help in evaluating whether the school could meet his needs, recommending resources and guiding us through the evaluation process. When it became clear that he needed a different school, Ilene showed great compassion and understanding for our situation and suggested educational options to address my son’s needs and learning style.
Years later, as a kindergarten teacher, I participated in many joint conferences with parents, the school psychologist and Ilene. Ilene always guided the meetings with sensitivity, asking difficult (but always relevant) questions in a productive, collaborative manner, keeping the focus on the student.
Ilene brings compassion, expertise and sensitivity to every step of the process, from evaluating a child’s needs to creating and implementing a plan to meet those needs.
Appreciative parent and teacher
My family is fortunate to have had Ilene in our corner for over 10 years, helping us meet the needs of all three of our children. We first met Ilene when our oldest daughter was struggling in first grade. Ilene helped us through testing and neuro-psychological evaluations, creating and implementing a plan to help the school meet her needs and providing remediation to help her succeed. She created a positive learning environment in which our daughter could thrive, and later did the same for our other two children when they exhibited similar issues. With Ilene’s guidance, our children were successful in school, attended top rated colleges and graduated at the tops of their classes. She gave our children the invaluable gift of teaching them how to become their own advocates. This will serve them well throughout life as it did throughout school.
Solomon Schechter Parents
The summer before my son entered Kindergarten, Beth El Day Camp offered a workshop called, “Kindergarten 101,” for the parents of soon-to-be kindergarteners. When I saw that the presenter was Ilene Davison, I immediately signed up. As an educator, I have been lucky enough to work with Ilene. She was an invaluable resource to me when I first started my career. She definitely made me a better teacher, able to advocate for my students and work collaboratively with parents to achieve that goal. I knew Ilene to be a true professional, the expert in her field, developing educational programs for special needs children, guiding parents through the evaluation process and beyond, as well as collaborating with educators to meet ALL children’s individual needs and challenges. I knew that anything Ilene had to say would be pertinent, helpful, as well as compassionate for all of us, the nervous parents of children entering school for the first time.
I am so grateful that I was able to take advantage of Ilene’s time and expertise and attend such an insightful and thought provoking workshop. Ilene understands the issues from all perspectives and provided the steady reassurance I needed. Even educators can be overwhelmed by their children’s first school experience. Everything Ilene said really resonated with me, both as an educator and as a parent. Her presentation was excellent and informative. I think it really helped to “demystify” the transition from pre-school to kindergarten.
Thank you Ilene!!
-Sharon Brown Straussberg, second grade teacher and parent.
Ilene Davison Consulting 
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