Executive Functioning Coaching
Executive functioning is the part of the brain that controls your ability to plan, organize, goal-set and regulate emotions. Many students are not taught these skills in school or we have seen these skills deteriorate, especially since COVID-19 and school closures. Gaby and her team are licensed special education teachers with an expertise in executive functioning coaching. They provide students with the tools to become independent learners. Each student is provided with an individualized plan after conducting an intake interview. Sessions are student-centered. Students are provided with a combination of both online and technology-based tools as well as paper-based tangible tools. Students practice skills and how to use resources in 1:1 sessions to then apply them at school. Sessions can be in-person or virtual online. Sessions range from 15 minute check-ins to one hour sessions weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
Academic Support
Lotus Advocacy provides content remediation in math, reading and writing for students with IEPs, 504s or students who might need more specialized academic support. Gaby and her team are licensed special education teachers with an expertise in breaking down material into manageable, digestible chunks of information with a variety of tools and resources to help students become independent learners.
Self-Advocacy and Disability Awareness
When students graduate from high school, their IEPs terminate. Students are procedurally invited to their IEP meetings at age 14 to prepare for this process, but student involvement should start much earlier! Many schools are not providing the necessary self-advocacy and disability awareness curriculum that students are legally entitled to. Lotus Advocacy provides an age-specific and scaffolded learning approach to participate in and learn about the IEP and 504 process. Depending on a student’s abilities and growth throughout sessions, students are prepared to ultimately lead their own IEP meetings as they near high school graduation. Students are taught why they have a plan, what the plan is for, what supports they need, and how to advocate for those supports.
College, Transition & Post-Secondary Planning
Because IEPs terminate when students graduate, the transition planning process should start earlier than the required age of 14. Lotus Advocacy provides a scaffolded approach to transition planning including interest surveys, career inventories, and career exploration through organized job-shadowing and research. Gaby and her team conduct an intake interview and create a tailored plan with families to reach their identified transition planning goals. Gaby and her team work with families, students and even the school to ensure a viable and specific transition plan is created and being implemented. These services are perfect to start over the summer and they can range from 1-2 sessions to weekly sessions over the course of 1-2 years.