Rebuilding skills, confidence, and hope.

The Lab

Intensive Learning Lab for Academics and Behavior

When a student needs more than “try harder” and a staff needs more than “hang in there,” we step in. The Lab is our intensive support option for students who are stuck in a cycle of crisis, removal, and lost learning time. We combine intensive instruction with practical coaching so schools leave stronger, not dependent.

The Model

Built on the gradual release of responsibility model, The Lab equips students to move toward greater independence, while schools, families, and local providers receive coaching on aligned strategies to sustain progress beyond the program.

  • intensive, individualized programming

  • remote learning with real connections

  • measurable outcomes, smooth transitions

What You Can Expect

Intensive, Individualized Programming

Each student’s experience begins with a comprehensive intake process involving families, school teams, and relevant providers. Based on the student’s academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs, we design a customized learning plan blending structured instruction with therapeutic supports.

Remote Learning With Real Connections

The Lab leverages a virtual learning environment tailored to each student’s needs while integrating local supports - from school-based providers to family coaching - to ensure continuity and collaboration. This hybrid approach maximizes impact and smooths the transition back to school.

Measurable Outcomes, Smooth Transitions

Students exit The Lab with a personalized transition plan that includes:

  • Progress toward academic and IEP goals

  • Improved social-emotional skills and coping strategies

  • Systematic release with school teams and families

  • Recommendations for sustaining success after the program

How The Lab Works

Phase 0

First, we confirm fit and get the essentials in place so the work starts smoothly. We align on roles, schedules, access, and communication routines, gather the key information needed for service planning, and prepare the local team to participate actively from day one.

Phase 1

Then we begin services and establish a steady rhythm for learning and support. We clarify the plan, teach routines and expectations, build early momentum, and create quick feedback loops so the team can make smart adjustments while keeping the day predictable for the student.

Phases 2-4

Then we deepen skill development and strengthen the plan so it holds across settings, people, and time. We increase student independence, tighten the team’s implementation, and intentionally transfer ownership to the local team that supports sustained success after exit.

Our Current Partnerships

Utah State University strengthens The Lab through research support that sharpens how we design, deliver, and refine intensive services for students with complex needs. This partnership helps us learn from the work as it happens so The Lab stays practical, precise, and built to hold up in real schools.

SimplePractice provides our secure client portal to keep communication, scheduling, and documents organized in one place. It helps our district partners stay aligned with fewer emails and fewer loose ends. It also gives everyone a clear, reliable place to find updates, forms, and next steps.

Fullmind is our learning platform and instructional support, including access to qualified instructors when needed. This helps us deliver structured learning consistently while staying responsive to student needs and district expectations. This adds stability to instruction while allowing our TLC team to stay focused on analysis and coaching.

Tapouts provides structured student groups that build coping skills, peer interaction skills, and steady routines. These groups add an extra layer of support that complements individual planning and day-to-day instruction. It’s one more way we help students practice skills with others in a guided, supportive format.

When students are struggling, they don’t struggle in a vacuum. They struggle inside real lives—inside classrooms, districts, clinics, systems, schedules, eligibility rules, staffing shortages, and long waitlists. And too often, the adults trying to help them are doing the best they can while navigating a maze that was never built for speed, clarity, or continuity.

As a director, I carry a deep desire to see these students served well in the middle of all of that complexity. Not served “on paper,” not served only when the right person happens to be available, and not served in ways that quietly shift the burden onto exhausted teams or families. Served well means we take the full picture seriously—and build support that is steady, practical, and respectful.

I also care deeply about the adults in the system. My goal is to reduce the guesswork, bring alignment, and help teams move forward with clarity and confidence. When that happens, students get more than a plan—they get a pathway that can actually hold.

If you’re in the middle of a complex situation right now, I want you to know you’re not alone. We built The Lab for the moments when the stakes are high and the systems feel tangled. And I would be honored to partner with you.

FROM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Lathyrelle Isler, MSEd, SSP
Program Director of The Lab

Get in touch

Reach out to us anytime, anywhere.

 
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Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Lab is our intensive support option for students whose needs aren’t being met through typical school-based supports. We combine structured learning time with practical coaching so the plan can be carried forward by the local team.

  • The Lab is a fit for students who are frequently removed from instruction, stuck in repeated escalation cycles, or struggling to engage in learning despite multiple prior attempts. It’s also a fit when staff are doing a lot - yet outcomes aren’t shifting.

  • We support school-age learners. Although we prioritize stuents in grades 5 through 10, fit is based more on need and readiness than grade level.

  • Your team stays actively involved, especially because your student continues to stay on your campus. We clarify roles, set a communication rhythm, and coach implementation so progress doesn’t depend on one person - or disappear when the student transitions.

  • The Lab is designed to work with remote delivery and strong coordination with the local team. When on-site support is helpful, we partner with the local team to make it happen.

  • Teams often notice increased participation in learning, fewer high-intensity moments, clearer adult roles, and increased consistency of intervention implementation across staff. Results depend on context, but we always aim for changes that sustain long after we’re gone.

  • We need a point person, basic scheduling information, and a team willing to participate actively. We’ll guide exactly what to gather so it doesn’t become a heavy lift. You can submit your screening referral here.

  • We keep information sharing limited to what’s necessary for planning and support - and we follow agreed-upon protocols for secure communication and documentation.

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