| Hi! Matt Meltzer here. My father, Ed Meltzer, gave his first driving lesson on Labor Day 1928. He was the Charter President of the East Fishkill Rotary Club. He was posthumously honored as a Paul Harris Fellow by The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. He taught driving for more than fifty years.
I have been giving driving lessons since February 1974. For
me, it is not a part-time job like other instructors; it's a career. If you want the best professional driving instruction, learn from Meltzer's Driver Training Center with a career instructor - ME.
The Meltzer's Driver Training Center philosophy is to find people who want to drive and are capable of becoming drivers and to do what is necessary to assist them in this endeavor. Sometimes this is with Driving Instruction or Road Test Service or Driver Evaluation or Vehicle Modification Evaluation. The list goes on.
Meltzer's Driver Training Center is based in Dutchess County yet has served people to the South on Long Island and in New York City, to the North in Albany, to the East nearing Connecticut and to the West nearing Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Some people travel to the Hudson Valley for services. To some people, I do the traveling.
I am well known for my expertise in the field of training those with Learning Differences. Tutoring is available for those who are having trouble or even for those who anticipate having trouble passing the New York State Learner Permit Test.
I give Driver Training to people of all ages (16 thru 96 - so far). I teach driving to many students with no disabilities. Driver Training is also available for those with Learning Differences, Physical Disabilities, and/or an Emotional Disability.
- I received my Bachelor's Degree from Marist College in 1978.
- I am licensed by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles as a Driving Instructor.
- I served on the advisory board of the Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) division of the New York State Education Department. In 2011, they changed their name to The office of Adult Career and Continuing Education Services (ACCES). They are New York State's Vocational Rehabilitation Unit. We recommended the Standards for Driver Evaluations & Training and Vehicle Modifications for people with disabilities which are now in force.
- I have taught prospective drivers, with or without disabilities, from sixteen through ninety-six (Yes, 96!) years of age.
- I have been trained as a CarFit technician. CarFit is an educational program which was created by the American Society on Aging and developed in collaboration with AARP, AAA, and AOTA.
- I am a member of A.D.E.D., The Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists, Past President (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012) of the Northeast Chapter - comprised of nine U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
- I am on ADED's Publication Committee and Public Relations/Membership Committee.
- It was requested of me in 2010 to teach a one hour "Coaches Corner" for other CDIs and several OTs at an ADED Convention. Of course, I obliged.
- Meltzer's Driver Training Center is a recipient of the Access Dutchess County '99 award. This award was sponsored by the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association (EPVA) which is now known as United Spinal Association.
- Meltzer's Driver Training Center is a recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the New York State Assembly issued by Assemblyman Joel Miller.
- Meltzer's Driver Training Center is a recipient of a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition issued by Congresswoman Susan Kelly.
- I am a Board certified CDRS. A CDRS is a Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist. We number just over 300 around the world.
- I will do on-the-road behind-the-wheel Driver Evaluation or Driver Training / Driving Instruction for anyone requesting one so long as they have either a learner permit (NYS permit or one accepted by NYS) or driver's license (from any state or province).
- I have done on-the-road behind-the-wheel Driver Evaluations for the Occupational Therapy Department at The Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains, NY (914) 597-2326, for The Therapy Connection at Saint Francis Hospital (no longer an active provider of Driver Rehab) in Poughkeepsie NY, Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw NY (845) 786-4460, and Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at NYU Medical Center in Manhattan (212) 263-6028 and ACCES-VR.
- I do on-the-road behind-the-wheel Driver Evaluations for other Rehab facilities or doctors at their request.
- I do vehicle modification evaluations for those with limited use of limbs.
- I do Hi-Tech van modification evaluations for those with severely limited use of limbs.
- I teach anyone who has a Learner Permit - most of the time on my vehicle; sometimes on their vehicle.
- I teach, or shall I say re-teach, anyone who has a Driver's License and wishes to improve their ability or use of that ability.
- I do Vehicle Modification Evaluations and/or Driver Evaluations and/or Driver Training or Retraining of people with mental, physical, or emotional disabilities (I guess I should say "mental, physical, or emotional 'situations' to be Politically Correct.).
- I tutor prospective drivers on the information in the NYS Driver's Manual - to hopefully have them pass the NYS DMV Learner Permit test (written or oral). Lately, I have an excellent tutor doing most of this work for me. Actually, I have Miss Meltzer (yes, my daughter) doing the tutoring.
- I have taught driving to students at the Kildonan School and Maplebrook School, both in eastern Dutchess County NY. The Kildonan School specializes in teaching students with dyslexia;
Maplebrook School specializes in teaching students with a variety of learning differences.
- I have taught the New York State Prelicensing Course for drivers who need to take a New York State Road Test. I discontinued this to concentrate more on the behind-the-wheel activities of driving, Driver Training, and Driver Rehabilitation.
- During snow storms and blizzards, I have voluntarily driven hospital personnel to hospitals when the roads were "impassable".
- In the past, I have been a member of MENSA. - Local Bylaws Rewrite Committee Member, B.S.A. - Assistant Cub Master, Den Leader, G.S.U.S.A. - Assistant Leader, Assistant Fundraiser, PTA - Newsletter Editor, and N.K.F.D. - Firefighter.
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