Shelley Conan Konrad, Ph.D., Instructor in Social Work Education, Co-founder of Kids First Program,  Portland, Maine. “Smart Thot toys are a positive response to the single biggest problem in elementary school classrooms: emotion and behavior regulation. The toys represent effective emotional education tools that can be used in play therapy, pediatric medical settings, preschools, daycare, Head Start and any other institution where children are cared for or taught. Smart Thot toys are also a parent education tool, to help their children with the challenges associated with emotional regulation. Early childhood is a time of unprecedented opportunity for learning this.  Smart Thot toys give children useful tools to understand better and manage their own emotions." 

John Stewart, Ph.D. Clinical Director, The Collaborative School. “Smart Thot toys (by targeting and teaching preschool and early elementary aged children and their parents) maximize the developmental opportunity that this age range allows for building positive thinking pathways in the brain.With today's fast-paced, rapidly changing and highly competitive world, kids who think flexibly and positively will be the successful ones." 

Marcia Hunter, Ph.D (Neuropsychology): “The Smart Thot product is timely and consistent with ‘brain based education’. I also think that the idea of positive ‘self-talk’ is timely given what we know about optimism and stress. We can apply it to preschool kids now, with just this type of medium." 

Kathy Locker, Past-President, Maine School Counselors Association: “Smart Thot toys will be very helpful tools for a school counselor to have. They are proscriptive and skill-based and teach children and their parents how to change the way their children think.”

Pam Leo, President, Connection Parenting: “I think that the Smart Thot toys provide an excellent way for parents and kids to connect emotionally and to learn together how their thoughts affect their feelings and how to choose thoughts that help them to feel good about themselves.  I’m invested in this being a major piece of what I’m doing with parents and kids. I love your idea."

Dante Cicchetti, Ph.D., McKnight Presidential Chair of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Institute of Child Development: “ I think the toys are authentic, helpful, child and parent friendly. The goal of recognizing and labeling thought so that a child can be aware of what kind of thoughts he is having and respond in a positive manner is a realistic goal. (The Smart Thot toys) are a creative idea and approach to helping children…and I think the series will be helpful and fun for many children.”

Dirk Hightower, Ph.D., Director, Children’s Institute, Rochester, NY: “Smart Thot toys are consistent with recommendations identified in a 2007 Metaanalysis completed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (Duzlack and Weisberg, 2007)  as being active ingredients for successful afterschool programs for kids that promote personal and social skills.”