Parent Testimonials

As a graduate student at the University of Michigan, Susan began her studies and training at The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in 1973. In 1980, she became the Director of the Institute for the Achievement of Intellectual Excellence, and the Director of the Evan Thomas Institute.

She is a principal lecturer in the “How To Multiply Your Child’s Intelligence” course, which has been presented since 1978 to parents the world over. She teaches parents how to enhance the growth and development of the brain through intellectual growth, specifically in reading, mathematics, and encyclopedic knowledge. She also teaches parents how to do an evaluation of their child using The Institutes Developmental Profile.

Ms. Aisen is also a principal lecturer in the “What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child” course. She teaches parents of brain-injured children how to evaluate their children neurologically and how to create an effective program of sensory stimulation to enhance seeing, hearing, and tactility.

Susan is an international lecturer on intellectual growth in children, and has taught parents in England, Ireland, Italy, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Japan, China, Singapore, Puerto Rico, and the United States how to create intellectual excellence in their children.

She served as a consultant to Glenn Doman in the writing of How To Teach Your Baby Math and How To Multiply Your Child’s Intelligence. She is a co-author of the book How To Give Your Baby Encyclopedic Knowledge. Susan is a principal lecturer in The Pathway to Wellness, now available online to parents worldwide.

Janet Doman has been the director of The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential since 1980. Janet is the daughter of Glenn Doman, the founder of The Institutes. She grew up at The Institutes and was helping brain-injured children by the time she was nine years old. She was directly involved in The Institutes ground-breaking work in early reading. At fourteen, she illustrated one of the first books ever published that was written and designed to be read by two and three-year-old children. She and her team have been creating and designing this unique curriculum ever since. While still in high school, she was asked to document the mobility progress of each child on The Institutes program and make a film archive. Six hundred and fifty children were filmed at every visit – it was the first such archive of this kind of data ever made.

Dr. Raymond Dart , the discoverer of Australopithecus Africanus Darti, and a fellow staff member, encouraged her to study anthropology. She studied physical Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania under Dr. Wilton Krogman at the Krogman Growth and Development Center. He taught her anthropometric measurement which she brought back to The Institutes. She did the first anthropometric measurements of brain-injured children that had ever been done. These careful measurements are still done today on every hurt child. Her life-long love of animals caused her to interrupt her studies at Penn to study zoology for a year at the University of Hull in England.

Janet with Dr. Roselise Wilkinson in the Xingu territory in the Mato Grosso of Brazil Centrale in 1969

In 1969 she had the extraordinary opportunity to travel with The Institutes expeditionary team to the Xingu territory of Brazil central. There, assisted by the government of Brazil, under the direction of Claudio Villas Boas, of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, she helped to do the very first neurological evaluations and anthropometric measurements of the children and adults in the tribes visited.

After graduating from University in 1971 she returned to her work with brain-injured children at The Institutes. Adelle Davis, the world renowned nutritionist and author of the revolutionary book “Let’s Get Well”, had recently joined the staff of The Institutes. Glenn challenged Janet to learn everything she could about nutrition from Adelle and to make sure that Adelle had anything she needed to create the ideal nutritional program for each hurt child. Janet and Adelle spent the next two years doing just that. They formed a life-long friendship. Janet is still deeply involved with all aspects of the nutritional program at The Institutes today where she works closely with Dr. Li Wang and Dr. Richard Rosenbloom.

In 1973 She and her team from The Institutes for Intellectual Excellence were asked to create a full intellectual curricula for the students in the School For Human Development. This school was for brain-injured youngsters from 17 to 30 years who could not succeed in either high school or college because of their neurological problems.

In 1974 she headed a team sent to Japan to study with Shinichi Suzuki and to teach at Yoji Kaihatsu, in Tokyo a revolutionary early development school created by Matsaru Ibuka, one of the Founders of SONY. She created and put in place a highly successful English language program for 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old children to be taught at home by their mothers. In less than a year there was a twelve-month waiting list to enroll in these early development classes for mothers.

On her return to the United States, she expanded the early development program developed in Tokyo to include reading, mathematics, encyclopedic knowledge, music, drawing, and physical development. Janet and her father decided it was time to create a new institute devoted exclusively to teaching the parents of well children.

Janet founded The Evan Thomas Institute in 1975, to honor Evan Welling Thomas, an outstanding public health physician who had given the last ten years of his life to the work of The Institutes. The purpose of this new institute was to teach mothers how to develop their babies intellectually, physically, and socially from birth to six. In 1976 Glenn was focusing on enriching the intellectual growth of brain-injured children by significantly expanding their database. He asked Janet and Susan Aisen to create a program to accomplish this. Over the next year the Encyclopedic Knowledge Program was piloted and developed into a very effective and popular program for both hurt and well children.

In 1978 Janet created a one week course for mothers “How To Multiply Your Child’s Intelligence”. The course attracted not only mothers, but fathers from all over the world who understood the enormous potential of the tiny baby and wanted to be able to learn more and provide an enriched environment at home. That course has been translated into four languages and has traveled around the world with the staff ever since.

Based upon the success of the “How To Multiply Your Child’s Intelligence” Course, Janet and the staff reviewed the lectures being given at that time for parents of brain-injured children and in 1985 created a one week intensive course for the parents of brain-injured children – “What To Do About Your Brain-injured Child”. This course has been translated into six languages and has also traveled the world with the staff ever since.

Janet wih Yuuki and Yoshiki in Tokyo

After working in Japan, Janet led the team of staff that began seeing brain-injured children in Japan and presenting lectures there. Janet has lectured and seen children in England, Ireland, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, China, Colombia, Australia, Malaysia, Argentina, and Peru.

Over the more than half century Janet has taught thousands of parents and children from all over the world and professionals who have come to The Institutes to learn. She still does so today. “Who in the world could ever be luckier than I am? I spend all day, every day with incredible children, the world’s most dedicated parents, a staff that never gives up, and new challenges every day.”

Today Janet and the staff are expanding the work of The Institutes to offer new books, new materials and new instruction online.

Janet is the co-author of How To Teach Your Baby To Read, How To Teach Your Baby Math, How To Multiply Your Baby’s Intelligence, How Smart Is Your Baby?, and How To Give Your Baby Encyclopedic Knowledge. Janet and a team of child brain developmentalist wrote The Pathway to Wellness and The Pathway to Excellence. She authored the children’s book Enough, Inigo, Enough.

In the field of child brain development she earned her Developmentalist Level in 1973, the Teaching Level in 1980, and the Preceptor Level in 1984. She has held the United Steelworkers of America Chair of Child Brain Development since 1987.

For her contributions she has received the Brasilian Gold Medal in 1974, The Statuette of The World Organization For Human Potential in 1980, and The Leonardo da Vinci Award in 1985 from The Institutes.

2019: Janet with Waldemar Nehgme, Director of The Institutes’ new school in Brasilia

Leia is from Brazil, and is the niece of Dr. Raymundo Veras, founder of the Brazilian Institutes. Before coming to Philadelphia in 1977, she worked for The Institutes in Brazil for two years. There she used her previous training in speech therapy at the Instituto Brasileiro de Otorrinolaringologia, da Faculdade Nacional do Rio de Janeiro.

After her arrival in Philadelphia she worked in the School for Human Development and rose to the level of vice director of the School. During these months Leia developed, with the staff, the Cortical Organization Program and the Laterality Program.

From June to August of 1977, she helped establish the Brazilian campus of the School for Human Development. In July of 1980 Leia returned to Brazil to assist Dr. José Carlos Veras at The Institutes in Rio de Janeiro. She became responsible for all physical, sensory, and physiological programs. Leia ran the Floor Program, the School for Human Development Program, the Evan Thomas Institute, and the Respiratory Patterning Department. She traveled to Brazilian cities and to Portugal to lecture and teach parents of brain-injured children.

In January 1981, Leia married Robin Reilly. Their son was born in 1982, and their daughter was born in 1983. When her children were young, Leia carried out an early development home program with them.

Leia achieved certification in child brain development at the teaching level in November 1989. In 1992 Leia returned to The Institutes in Philadelphia as an associate director of The Institute for the Achievement of Physical Excellence. In 1997 she became the vice director, and in 2000 she became the director of that Institute.

Leia lectures in all of the courses and in the lecture series for parents given by The Institutes. In addition to Brazil, the United States, and Portugal, Leia has served children in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, Singapore, China and Japan.

For her work with brain-injured children, she received the Brazilian Gold Medal of Honor, the Raymundo Veras Award of Science and Humanities, the Ceremony of Inscription, and the Statuette with Pedestal. She is a founding member of the International Academy for Child Brain Development.

Rumiko was born in Kagawa-ken, Japan. She attended Saint Maria College in Kyoto, where she studied elementary education, psychology, social welfare, and literature.

Following graduation, Rumiko worked with children from infancy to five years old. She then taught in a private elementary school, where she especially enjoyed teaching Japanese literature, creative writing, and music to children. Before and after school hours she tutored children with reading problems.

Rumiko learned of The Institutes through the experiences of Yoichi Fukunaga, a famous Japanese jockey who was profoundly injured during a horse race and was in a coma for more than a year. By following the programs of The Institutes, he learned to walk, talk, write, and eventually ride a horse. His recovery was widely reported throughout Japan.

Rumiko soon learned that The Institutes could help those children who were failing in school and in life. Rumiko came to Philadelphia in 1987 to begin her training in child brain development. As part of her staff training Rumiko crawled, crept, ran, and completed a full gymnastics program with the brain-injured students of the School for Human Development.

She worked with the students at the Pioneer Institute, where she coached the students in independence, leadership, and problem solving. Eventually she rose to the position of director of the School for Human Development, where she was responsible for the physical, intellectual, and physiological program of all the brain-injured young adults in the school.

Rumiko coached the students in singing and in social programs. She also taught swimming to the students of the Evan Thomas Institute. Rumiko is fully qualified in all aspects of the physical development of brain-injured and well children, and she is the advocate for many children around the world. She is associate director of The Institute for the Achievement of Physical Excellence, serving children in the United States and in Japan. She has lectured and taught the parents of brain-injured children from around the world.

For her work with brain-injured children, Rumiko received the Brazilian Gold Medal of Honor, Sakura Koro Sho, the Raymundo Veras Medal of Humanity and Science, and The Founder’s award of the Statuette with Pedestal. She is certified in child brain development and is a fellow of the International Academy for Child Brain Development.

Rumiko is married to Erik Doman, the oldest grandchild of Glenn and Katie Doman.

Kathy was born in Bellwood, Pennsylvania, where she grew up and graduated from high school. During these years her mother taught her to play the piano. Following high school, Kathy attended Appalachian Bible College, majoring in piano. She then worked as a secretary for a life insurance company and as a secretary for a printing plant.

In 1973 Kathy married Alan Myers. When their oldest child, Chip, was four years old, she took the How To Multiply Your Child’s Intelligence Course. Kathy became a full-time professional mother to her three children. Eventually they joined the On-Campus Program of the Evan Thomas Institute.

When her youngest child entered the International School, Kathy joined the school staff. She became the music director, teaching music theory, composition, and a choral class, and was director of the Junior Class. She later became vice director of the International School.

Kathy is now the administrator of the International School. In this role, she creates class schedules, organizes the curriculum books, and meets regularly with mothers concerning the home program of each student.

As her children graduated from the International School, Kathy home schooled them throughout high school, at their request. She continued her own education at Montgomery County Community College with courses in pre-calculus, calculus, history, and psychology.

Kathy now uses the experience derived from teaching her own children and the International School students to teach the parents of brain-injured children in the clinic.

In 1998 Kathy began her training as a clinical staff member, and is now qualified to take histories, perform evaluations, and teach intelligence programs.

For her work with children, Kathy has received the Brazilian Gold Medal and the Statuette with Pedestal. In 1998, the entire Myers family was awarded the Leonardo da Vinci Medal.

Dr. Ernesto Vasquez was born in the United States and grew up in Mexico. In 1984 he obtained his diploma as a general practitioner from the University of Baja California School of Medicine, in Mexico. He served his internship in 1985 at the Social Security Hospital in Mexicali, Baja California, and was in charge of community clinics of Morelos City, Baja California.

Ernesto first learned about The Institutes in 1982, when his sister Angelica began on the Intensive Treatment Program. Ernesto assisted with her home program and observed Angelica’s progress. He came to The Institutes in September 1986 and joined the staff of the School for Human Development. He later became medical director and then director of the School, coaching the students through every aspect of their physical, intellectual, and social program.

In 1987, he was appointed vice director of the Oxygen Enrichment Program. Now he divides his time between the research area and the Children’s Center, where he teaches physical and respiratory programs. In 1988 and 1989, Ernesto spent time working at Centro de Reabilitação Nossa Senhora da Glória with Dr. José Carlos Veras in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and for Associação Barbacenense in Barbacena, Brazil.

Ernesto helped to present the first Spanish What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child Video Course in Mexico City, and was involved in the preparation, translation, and dubbing in Spanish of the How To Multiply Your Child’s Intelligence Course, also presented in Mexico City. Ernesto has been involved in the translation, preparation, and dubbing in Spanish of the video lecture series for Spanish-speaking families.

In 1992, Ernesto became the vice director of The Institute for the Achievement of Physiological Excellence and the acting director of the same institute in Europe. He has studied and treated brain-injured children in Mexico, the United States, Italy, Japan and Brazil.

In 1993, he married Thaisa Mendes, then a staff member. They have two children who have benefited from The Institutes Early Development Program. From 1995 to 1996, Ernesto returned to work with Dr. Jose Carlos Veras in Brazil and studied and treated brain-injured children in Argentina, Brazil, and Portugal.

He is certified in child brain development at the teaching level and he is a fellow of the Academy for Child Brain Development. For his work with brain-injured children he has received the Brazilian Gold Medal of Honor, the Sakura Koro Sho medal, and the Statuette with Pedestal.

Glenn Doman founded The Institutes in 1955. He is the primary lecturer in the course through the use of state-of-the-art video. This allows parents to be nose-to-nose with the founder all week long and learn from the primary author of The Gentle Revolution Series, and the most senior staff member of The Institutes.