Special Education Consulting
A sturdy structure for serving students with disabilities, the skill to run it, and a system your own people own. For districts, charter schools, and the schools that need the most support.
Combined years of special education leadership on our team
Richland Two schools we supported that exited targeted support status
Compliance Alone Does Not Move Outcomes
Most special education programs are working hard on paperwork, timelines, and staffing gaps at the same time. IDEA and state requirements are not optional, but a compliant file does not guarantee that a student is learning, and a strong teacher cannot carry a weak system for long.
Trellis looks at both at once. Every IEP review and classroom observation checks compliance and instruction together, general educators and leaders take part in every strand, and the tools and routines stay with your staff when we step back.
Trellis by Studiously
Trellis is our special education consulting framework. It gives a school or district a sturdy structure for serving students with disabilities, builds the skill to run it, then hands that system over so your organization runs it without us.
The posts
Five anchors that never change
- Compliance and instruction together. Every IEP review and observation looks at both
- Access by design. Supports built into schedules, staffing and instruction, with the full continuum of services intact
- Everyone's students. General educators and leaders take part in every strand
- Growth you can see. We measure implementation, educator practice, compliance health and student outcomes
- Built to own. Tools, coaching routines and funding plans transfer to you
The climb
Five phases
- Discover. Review data, files and practice to see where the program stands
- Design. Set the strands, schools and measures that fit your goals
- Build. Write the tools, routines and coaching cycles
- Support. Coach in classrooms and IEP meetings while practice takes hold
- Own. Your leaders and teachers run the system while we step back
The lattice
Six strands of practice
IEP quality and compliance · Inclusive instruction and co-teaching · MTSS and behavior · Program leadership and staffing · Family partnership · Equity and outcomes data.
Each engagement picks the strands that matter most for your schools, so you pay for the work you need.
Sized to Where You Are
Start small and grow, or rebuild the whole system. Every option uses the same anchors.
Sprout
One school, a charter, or a pilot cohort. One strand over a semester, delivered virtually or blended, measured through implementation checks and self-assessment.
Vine
A set of schools, such as those identified for targeted support. Two or three strands over a year, blended delivery, with fidelity walkthroughs and IEP quality reviews.
Full Trellis
A district rebuilding its special education system. All six strands over two to three years, on-site coaching, and an outcomes dashboard tied to state performance indicators.
Not Sure Yet?
Start with a conversation. Tell us what is getting in the way, and we will suggest the smallest engagement that answers your question.
What This Work Looks Like
Richland School District Two, South Carolina. We supported school improvement and co-teaching across schools identified for targeted support, with site visits, data review, and coaching for principals, district staff, and coaches. Three of the nine schools exited targeted support status. Our June 2025 co-teaching workshop brought 42 educators into the same room to plan and practice together.
Who does this work. Cam J. Lopes brings 30 years of special education case management, law, and compliance. Kim Short brings inclusion research that has shaped practices used around the world. Dr. Amy Davis, our founder, brings 30 years in special education and school leadership as a teacher, principal, and district leader.
How to buy. Trellis is available through TIPS contract 240804 (through October 2029), Allied States Cooperative student support and intervention contract 25-7514, and EPIC 6 special education RFP 20.25, along with our other cooperative contracts. We do not provide clinical therapy.
Tell Us Where Your Program Is Stuck
Half an hour, no cost, no pitch deck. Bring your questions about compliance, inclusion, staffing, or outcomes. If we are not the right fit, we will say so and point you somewhere better.