BCBA | Special Ed Advocate | North Texas
You don't need to become an expert in special education, you need someone who already understands how this works.
As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and special education advocate, I work with Texas families who are ready to get clarity on what their child’s IEP actually says and how it translates into their child’s progress.
• BCBA · Board Certified Behavior Analyst
• LBA · Licensed Behavior Analyst (Texas)
• COPAA Member
• ACE Provider
• Non-Attorney Advocate
why families come here
When the IEP process stops feeling like it's about your child
Most parents who reach out have been trying to work within the system for months, or years. They have sat through meetings where the conversation drifted away from their child’s actual needs. They have been told things are fine when the data says otherwise.
My job is to reorient the process back to what matters: whether your child can access and benefit from their education.
Does any of this sound familiar?
The IEP has goals, but there’s no clear connection between present levels, goals, and actual services.
Behavior is being used to justify a more restrictive placement, but the behavior has never been systematically addressed.
Your child just finished an ABA program and the school has no plan for how to build on what they’ve learned.
Progress reports show data but don’t actually answer whether your child is making meaningful gains.
You leave ARD meetings with a signed document but no clarity about what it means or whether it’s sufficient.
Free live training
Your child's IEP looks fine on paper. So why aren't they progressing?
Join this free live training to understand what might be driving your child’s lack of progress, and what to do about it.
Upcoming webinar
The IEP Looks Fine. So Why Isn't It Working?
May 1 · 11am Central · Free
Register here!
the process
01
Comprehensive Record Review
Every new client starts here. I review your child’s IEPs, evaluations, progress reports, and if relevant, ABA clinic records. I develop and deliver a written Prioritized Action Plan.
02
Strategy Session
A 60-minute 1:1 session to walk through findings, align on what matters most, and decide on the right level of ongoing support for your situation.
03
Choose Your Level of Support
After the Record Review, I make a recommendation for next steps. Some families are ready to manage the next steps from there, others prefer to have support through the ARD meeting. Either is fine! My recommendation tells you what your situation calls for, not just what’s avaialble.
04
Walk In Ready
Whether you go in alone or I’m in the room with you, you leave every session with a clear, specific plan — not a stack of reading material and a vague sense of what to do next.
About Jillian Esser
I've been on both sides of the table, that's the difference.
Before founding Inspired Ability, I spent 15 years inside special education systems as a special education teacher, BCBA, curriculum specialist, clinical director, and district special education coordinator. I know how IEPs get written, where the pressure points are, and what appropriate programming actually looks like.
That background changes what I can do in an ARD meeting. I’m not just reading the same compliance guides the district is. I’ve helped develop the systems they’re implementing.
- Curriculum & Instructional Support Specialist — The Trellis School, Sparks MD Supervised and trained teachers, consulted with school districts on both systemic and student-specific programming, and developed training on integrating motivating operations with learning across operants in play-based settings.
- District BCBA & Special Education Coordinator — DFW Area ISD Built IEPs and behavior systems from the inside — eligibility, evaluation, placement, and compliance.
- Clinical Training — Kennedy Krieger Institute, Neurobehavioral Unit Intensive training in ABA for students with severe behavioral needs.
- IEP Advocate & Founder — Inspired Ability Private advocacy practice serving Texas families navigating the ARD process.
Ready to start?
Every client begins with a Record Review
The first step is a phone call where we’ll talk through your situation, what you’re hoping to accomplish, and whether Inspired Ability is the right fit.
If we move forward together, our next step is a Comprehensive Record Review. It’s a structured analysis of your child’s school records. You walk away with a written action plan and a clear picture of where things stand.