GABRIELA (GABY) DILLER, Founder

After working in schools leading IEP and 504 meetings for many years, Gaby realized two big problems - many families were uninformed about their rights and responsibilities and many special education departments were spread too thin. She found that families had past distrust with school districts and lost hope in the effectiveness of special education programming. Gaby learned that special education departments are vast and intricate and often planning happens when the school year has already started, given evolving needs. And that’s where Lotus Advocacy was developed. Families are the most important part of the Team and it is a school’s responsibility to ensure students and families are educated about the law and understand every step of the process. 

Gaby is a special education teacher, leader, administrator and teacher coach. She also teaches mindfulness, meditation and yoga in schools, studios and privately. She has worked in education for over 10 years and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Boston University and a Masters in Effective Teaching from the Charles Sposato Graduate School of Education. She is currently perusing her Doctorate in Education at Northeastern University.

Gaby was born and raised in Southern California and she moved to Boston in 2008. She lives with her husband and dog Rainey in Milton, MA. In her free time, you can find her teaching or taking yoga classes, hiking, traveling, cooking, creating playlists on Spotify, and watching HGTV. 

Specializations

• College Board accommodations 

• Executive functioning coaching

• Special education law and compliance 

• Accommodating and modifying curriculum 

• Co-teaching and instructional models

• Transition services for high school students

• Applying for accommodations in college

• IEP awareness and self-advocacy curriculum

• Study skills curriculum 

• Small group and 1:1 instruction 

• Organizational skills

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

MICHAELA CROWLEY, Educational Consultant and Advocate

Michaela has a deep history of over 20 years working in education in the city of Boston. Throughout her career, she has helped families and children in a variety of roles; first as a special education teacher, then director of special education as well as middle school Principal.  Michaela has a Bachelors in Elementary Education and Human Development as well as a Masters in Special Education from Boston College.

Michaela brings a variety of skill sets to her consulting career due to her vast experience.  Before leaving the school building in 2022, Michaela was the longtime Director of Human Capital for Boston Prep where she spearheaded all of the hiring, recruiting, and human resources for the 6-12 school.  Her vast knowledge of both special education, as well school leadership and recruitment, allow her to bring a variety of critical expertise to the table.  

Throughout her career, Michaela has led many professional development opportunities both within her own school as well as others.  Often sought after from other schools because of her knowledge of hiring, HR, and special education as well as her keen skills in working with adults, she has collaborated with teachers and leaders in numerous schools across Boston.  For several years, she also trained special educators new to the field in a graduate school teacher preparation program.   

Michaela was drawn to consulting as a way to work with both schools and families on a variety of levels.  Her passion lies in her desire to ensure that both schools and families are educated about the intricacies of special education services.  Michaela lives in Boston with her wife and 3 children.  In her free time, she can be found teaching boot camp fitness classes to moms as well as spending time with her family or reading a good book on the beach.

Her expertise includes IEP development and implementation, administering, scoring, and interpreting assessments, designing accommodations and modifications, curriculum development, data collection, and MCAS-Alt development and review. Amanda has extensive experience chairing Team meetings and fostering collaboration among teachers, specialists, and administrators to ensure each student receives the most effective support possible. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a Master’s degree in Special Education from Salem State University.

Outside of her work, Amanda is a certified yoga instructor who enjoys gardening and finding moments of peace in nature. She is also a proud mom to two young boys, one of whom is neurodivergent — a role that has deepened her understanding of advocacy on both a professional and personal level.

With over seven years of experience in Special Education, Justine has supported students in grades 9–12 across a range of mathematics courses. Her work is rooted in the belief that all students can succeed in math when given the right support, encouragement, and tools. She is particularly passionate about helping students build confidence in their mathematical abilities and advocating for their own learning needs and accommodations.

Justine’s approach to teaching combines academic rigor with compassion and a deep understanding of diverse learning profiles. She strives to create classroom environments where every student feels valued, capable, and empowered to reach their full potential.

Justine lives in the Boston area with her husband and two sons. In her free time, she can often be found at a local Boston park, playing and exploring with her kids.

Her tutoring approach is student-centered and supportive. She believes every learner has unique strengths, and she tailors each session to meet individual needs. McKenzie focuses on breaking down challenging concepts into clear, manageable steps, while also encouraging critical thinking and independence.

McKenzie has worked with a diverse range of learning profiles and she is committed to creating a positive and motivating learning environment. She provides the tools and encouragement to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom.

Outside of the classroom, McKenzie has been an Athletic Director and softball coach, sharing her passion for Boston sports with her students. She also loves spending time horseback riding, swimming in the ocean, and spending time with her family.

In addition to her academic work, Madison is a certified youth mentor as well as a yoga and mindfulness teacher with multiple 200-hour certifications, including trauma-informed training. Her approach is holistic and student-centered, grounded in the belief that emotional wellness and learning go hand-in-hand. She has also supported youth through mentorship and leadership programs focused on community building and personal development.

Madison brings extensive administrative experience from both nonprofit and medical office settings, where she developed skills in record-keeping, coordination, and communication. Having grown up in a bilingual household and overcome her own academic challenges, she is deeply committed to supporting English Language Learners, neurodiverse students (including those with dyslexia), and families from historically marginalized communities. As a Mexican-American who also lived in Spain for many years, Madison values cultural diversity and is fluent in both English and Spanish, allowing her to connect deeply with families navigating bilingual and multicultural experiences. Madison is passionate about helping every student access the tools they need to thrive in learning and in life.

In her free time, Madison enjoys teaching yoga and meditation classes, doing CrossFit, hiking, producing music, spending time in nature, and being with loved ones.

MICHELLE GABOR, Educational Consultant

In Memoriam

Michelle passed away on April 12, 2025 unexpectedly due to medical complications. She served as a Lotus Advocacy Educational Consultant since 2021. She taught at Mount Mary University as a Learning Specialist for a TRIO Support Services program for limited-income, first-generation college students. In addition, she taught a variety of math and education courses for Mount Mary.

Ensuring that all students receive the support they need to maximize their potential and achieve their goals has been Michelle’s priority from the time she began her career in education more than 20 years ago. Michelle held a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services with a concentration in Special Education and a Master of Science in Behavioral Education from Northeastern University. She was also a BCBA.

Her experience working in K-12 special education and alternative education settings, as well as her experience in higher education honed her ability to help students achieve beyond their own expectations. In addition to working directly with students, Michelle had extensive experience writing IEPs, chairing Team meetings, reviewing IEPs for quality and compliance, accommodating and modifying curricular materials, and collaborating with teachers as they implement the supports their students need to succeed.

Michelle was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but spent most of her teaching career in Boston. She loved being physically active and raising her cats as her own children. She ran marathons, indoor rock climbed, took barre and spin classes, and enjoyed relaxing at the beach.

Michelle was made for teaching; she had a genuine craft for the art of teaching. She could figure out what a child needed in a matter of minutes. She changed so many lives when other teachers could not. She could make the most complex concepts simple with both student teaching and adult teaching and consulting. She made it look effortless. She was a brilliant educator. 

We continue our work in special education in her honor every day and we feel so lucky she will always be a part of our team.