Clinical therapy was built for the couch. We built a project for the teens who reject it.

Project ISS provides specialized behavioral coaching for teens navigating Autism, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and other Emotional Disabilities. We use bouldering, strength training, animal interaction, and somatic regulation to help guarded youth step out of isolation and confidently interact with the world around them.

The Project ISS Model

ISS stands for Intervention & Social Strategies. But the teens I work with know exactly what it really means: In-School Suspension.

A quiet office doesn't translate to a chaotic classroom. For a guarded teenager, traditional therapy often fails because:It’s a power imbalance: They are talked at, rather than to.
It creates resistance: Forcing a defensive teen to sit still and open up further creates physical and mental stress like that of a classroom.
It misses the real struggle: The hardest subjects aren't academics, they are the unwritten social rules and learning how to navigate young adulthood.They don’t need another administrator shouting their name on a walkie. They need someone they can be themselves with.

Project ISS Model

Embracing over Conforming

We don’t sit in offices. Engaging in shared, high-challenge, real-world tasks naturally drops defensive walls and builds practical daily skills.

Somatic Regulation & Brainspotting

Defensiveness starts in the nervous system. We combine heavy physical movement like bouldering, lifting, or hiking with Brainspotting-informed somatic techniques to help teens process behavioral blocks and release stored tension before it escalates in the classroom.

Task Breakdown

To combat executive dysfunction, we use hands-on creative projects (music production, graphic design, art) to teach the exact cognitive skills needed to break overwhelming school assignments into manageable micro-steps.

Non-Verbal Boundary Training

Working alongside our support dogs forces highly intense teens to naturally lower their physical volume, read non-verbal cues, and practice grounded empathy.

Testimonials

Testimonials

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"After being expelled from school, my family was ready to give up on me. They called Mr. Vela for guidance and he saw that my path wasn't meant to be traditional. Two years later, I got my GED and work for TXDOT."

Yahir C., Land Surveyor

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"Group projects and public speaking were things that my IEP protected me from. Working with Mr. Vela brought me out of my shell and now I am studying to be a teacher."

Jennifer V., College Sophomore

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"While I always did well in school, Mr. Vela helped me find my passion for media and arts. He showed me that my strengths were more than just grades. I have now created short-films, choreographed actors in events, and will be taking my skills to the University of Pennsylvania"

- Dustin W., Ivy League Freshman

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"As a student with severe ADHD, I always felt targeted in school. Mr. Vela was the first teacher that I ever trusted and he showed me how to turn my extra energy into a business.

- Itzel I., College Junior/Business Owner

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"I was constantly suspended and eventually in a jail cell. Mr. Vela never judged me or gave up on me. He saw the same four walls that I did and taught me how to break them down while not losing my identity."

- Diego T., Lineman

Hi, I'm Issac Vela.

I built Project ISS because I was the kid the system wrote off. I know exactly what it looks like when a teenager spirals and the traditional school environment only responds with suspensions.I spent my youth rejecting rules because the system didn't understand how to channel my energy. I eventually found my own structure outside the classroom: through competitive powerlifting, working with at-risk shelter dogs, and serving in the United States Air Force. Those environments taught me that non-conformity isn't a defect; it just requires a different framework.Today, I combine my lived experience with nearly a decade of special education expertise. I use an unfiltered, authentic mentorship approach that instantly builds rapport with guarded teens. I don't judge behavior; I decode it.While the Project ISS model operates outside the traditional clinical box, every intervention is grounded in high-level educational strategy, legal advocacy, and structured behavioral science.

And I am Odin, Certified Therapy Dog.

Credentials & Background

Head Social & Behavioral Skills (SBS) Case Manager:
Nearly a decade of experience decoding behavior and working with students to keep them out of the disciplinary pipeline. I act as the primary advocate in Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs), fighting to ensure a student's struggles are met with actual support, not an alternative school placement.
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M.S.Ed. Candidate in School Counseling:
Currently in practicum for School Counseling with emphasis in Special Populations at Arkansas State University.
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Aggression Replacement Training (ART) Certified:
An evidence-based cognitive-behavioral framework for dismantling chronic defiance. I teach teens how to control their anger and weaponize their frustration into discipline instead of melting down.
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Texas State University Powerlifting Founder & Coach:
Collegiate-level coaching experience used to safely translate heavy physical work into actionable lessons on focus, resilience, and baseline emotional control.
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Certified Adaptive Recreation and Sports Specialist (CARSS – Level I):
Validating the use of heavy physical work and movement-based interventions.
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Wrightslaw Trained & Active COPAA Member:
Connected to a premium national network of special education legal professionals, translating complex behavior into legally sound school accommodations.
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Veteran, United States Air Force

Why the System Fails (And How We Fix It)

The public school system frequently manages neurodivergent behavior with removal, not rehabilitation. The data proves that students receiving Special Education services face systemic, disproportionate punishment:* The 74% Reality: Nearly three-quarters of Texas students in Special Education are suspended or expelled at least once between 7th and 12th grade [1].*The 3x Multiplier: Students with emotional or behavioral IEPs are three times more likely to be pushed into the juvenile justice system than their general education peers due to discretionary discipline [1].Traditional In-School Suspension (ISS) doesn't teach emotional regulation it produces resentment and further isolates the students.THE SOLUTION: NEUROLOGY & HEAVY WORKProjectISS bypasses the clinical couch. We use heavy, structured physical exertion, like collegiate-style powerlifting and indoor bouldering to attack behavior at the neurological level.* Mimicking Medication: Intense physical exertion elevates dopamine and norepinephrine, naturally replicating the exact neurological mechanisms of ADHD and behavioral control medications [2].* 50% Incident Reduction: Structured, vigorous physical activity programs reduce behavioral referrals and aggressive incidents by up to 50% in neurodivergent populations [3].* Engineered Frustration Tolerance: Heavy lifting provides massive proprioceptive input that forces a "fight-or-flight" nervous system to physically ground itself. When a teen fails a heavy lift, they process that micro-failure in real-time, building frustration tolerance they can finally use in the classroom.__CITATIONS & RESEARCH:[1] Fabelo, T., et al. (2011). Breaking Schools’ Rules: A Statewide Study of How School Discipline Relates to Students’ Success and Juvenile Justice Involvement. Council of State Governments Justice Center.[2] Ratey, J. J. (2008). Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. (Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School).[3] Journal of Attention Disorders / American Psychological Association (Ongoing research confirming vigorous physical exertion significantly decreases externalizing behaviors in neurodivergent youth).

Services & Investment

The Decoding Session (Initial Intake)
$195 | 90 Minutes
In this deep-dive session, we review your teen's IEP/504, behavioral history, and school discipline records. We sit down with you and your teen to decode what their behavior is actually communicating and map out a custom somatic and educational intervention plan.
Note: If we determine your teen is a good fit to the Project ISS project, this entire $195 fee is credited directly toward your first month's retainer.

The Project ISS Retainer
$650 | Monthly
* Action-Based Sessions (4x/month): We boulder, lift heavy, or work with my support dogs. We use physical exertion to burn off defensive energy and practice real-time frustration tolerance. (All gym entry fees and equipment rentals are included).
* The Parent Lifeline: Therapists don't answer the phone during school hours; I do. If the school calls you about an incident, you text me. I give you the exact script to handle the administration.
* The Anti-Clinic Approach: No couches, no clipboards, no forced vulnerability. We build trust through shared challenges, teaching them how to navigate the real world without shutting down.
* Retainer Perk: Active clients receive complimentary IEP/504 document reviews and priority scheduling for ARD advocacy.

ARD & IEP Advocacy
$125 | Per Hour
You shouldn't have to fight the school district alone.Behavioral progress doesn't matter if the school continues to suspend them. We hold the district legally accountable, translating your teen's behavioral needs into legally binding accommodations so they stop getting punished and start getting support.

Report to ISS

Project ISS is a specialized, movement-based mentorship. Fill out the intake form below to tell us what traditional systems are getting wrong about your teen, and we will reach out to schedule a Discovery Call.

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