Stepping into our client’s life:
Austin is a 19-year-old young man with a complex behavioral and developmental profile, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mild Intellectual Disability, ADHD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Due to the intensity and interconnection of his needs, Austin has been unable to attend school in person. Local alternative educational programs were also unable to meet his unique behavioral, academic, and regulatory needs or provide the level of structure required for sustained engagement.
As a result, Austin’s access to education, meaningful routine, and developmental progress was significantly limited. His family and school district were seeking a highly specialized solution—one that could stabilize behavior, reestablish academic access, and support long-term skill development within the context of Austin’s home environment.
How Coach-Mentors helped:
Coach-Mentors was recommended to Austin’s parents and school district by an educational and therapeutic consultant familiar with Coach-Mentors’ ability to design highly individualized, in-home support systems for students with complex profiles.
Following close collaboration with Austin’s family, community-based providers, and district personnel, Coach-Mentors developed a comprehensive service proposal. The proposal received Board of Education approval, and the school district contracted with Coach-Mentors to provide 35 hours per week of individualized, in-home support, funded through the district.
Coach-Mentors’ work with Austin focuses on stabilizing behavior, expanding access to learning, and building functional skills through a consistent, structured, and clinically informed approach. Supports include:
- Establishing and maintaining a highly structured daily routine to increase predictability, reduce behavioral triggers, and support readiness to learn
- Providing individualized emotional and behavioral coaching to strengthen academic engagement, communication, and pro-social skills
- Supporting participation in developmentally appropriate activities, including academic tasks, therapeutic interventions, and coordinated behavioral supports
- Collaborating closely with school personnel and community providers to ensure alignment across settings
- Providing respite and relief for parents and caregivers to reduce stress and support healthier family functioning
In keeping with Coach-Mentors’ commitment to precise staff matching, all team members assigned to Austin are ABA specialists, behavior technicians with ABA training, or Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs). This ensures services are delivered with clinical competence, behavioral expertise, and consistency.
Takeaway:
Through this school district–funded partnership, Austin has gained access to a level of individualized support that traditional educational settings could not provide. The in-home model allows for real-time behavioral stabilization, increased academic participation, and skill development within Austin’s natural environment—setting the foundation for long-term success.
Austin’s story illustrates how Coach-Mentors collaborates with families, consultants, and school districts to design innovative, fundable solutions that expand access to education and support students with the most complex needs—when standard systems fall short.
Meet the Behavior Support Mentor:
Caroline is a dedicated behavioral support professional with extensive experience providing ABA‑based interventions and individualized assistance to children, adolescents, and adults with developmental disabilities, autism, and behavioral challenges. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Services and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling. She has also successfully completed the 40-hour course to become a Registered Behavior Technician.
Caroline currently works as an ABA Therapist where she supports high school students by implementing evidence-based behavioral strategies, reinforcing skill development, and ensuring students’ academic, emotional, and behavioral needs are consistently met throughout the school day. She collaborates closely with educators, provides in-class and transition support, and develops individualized strategies that promote regulation, independence, and success.
Previously, Caroline served as an ABA Specialist and Teacher’s Aide where she worked directly with middle school students struggling with behavioral regulation. She assisted students in classrooms, modeled positive behavior, and built trusting, supportive relationships that encouraged engagement and stability. Her work emphasized the creation of safe, structured environments that foster learning and growth.
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Matthew is a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) with several years of hands‑on experience supporting individuals with developmental disabilities through applied behavior analysis. He is deeply committed to enhancing quality of life by implementing individualized behavior intervention plans that promote independence, skill acquisition, and emotional regulation.
Matthew has extensive experience providing one‑to‑one behavioral support in both school‑based and community settings. His work includes teaching coping and anger‑management strategies, reducing interfering behaviors, and supporting the development of academic, communication, social, and daily living skills. He is highly skilled in data collection, graphing, and progress monitoring, using evidence‑based practices to inform instructional decisions and track meaningful outcomes.
Known for his patience, reliability, and strong rapport‑building skills, Matthew excels at creating safe, structured environments where clients feel supported and understood. He brings a collaborative approach to his work, communicating effectively with families, educators, and interdisciplinary teams while maintaining a consistent focus on client‑centered goals. His background also includes experience in teaching and coaching roles, where he developed strong instructional, motivational, and leadership skills that translate seamlessly into behavioral support work.
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CiCi holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and has completed graduate‑level training in Applied Behavior Analysis. She is an aspiring Board‑Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with more than four years of specialized experience in behavioral health, care coordination, and case management. In her current role, she oversees post‑acute services and develops behavioral support plans for medically vulnerable populations, ensuring continuity of care across settings.
Previously, CiCi worked extensively as an intake coordinator within an applied behavior analysis setting, where she managed the therapy intake process through close collaboration with insurance providers, clinicians, and families. Her professional background also includes several years supporting special education systems, where she collaborated with multidisciplinary teams and advocated for students with diverse learning and behavioral needs.
CiCi is highly skilled in functional behavior assessment, trauma‑informed care, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Chamka is deeply committed to delivering client‑centered care that promotes meaningful, sustainable outcomes for individuals and families.