Compare advocates serving Los Angeles families across district-operated, charter, and other public-school settings. Get support with assessments, IEP meetings, records, placement, services, and Section 504.
3 based in California · 3 virtual advocates who work with California schools
Los Angeles families may be navigating a very large school system, a charter-operated school, or a district outside LAUSD despite having a Los Angeles mailing address. Identifying the responsible district or charter authorizer is an important first step.
LAUSD families can use the district's Parent Portal to view a current IEP and quarterly service tracking. The district also offers parent workshops, multilingual guides, a records-request process, and an informal Alternative Dispute Resolution option.
Local starting points include LAUSD Division of Special Education, LAUSD Parent Portal for current IEP and service tracking, LAUSD Custodian of Records, and LAUSD Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Los Angeles is not one uniform special education system. The responsible district, charter authorizer, SELPA, and dispute-resolution contacts can depend on the student’s school and address, so families should confirm that routing before relying on LAUSD-specific instructions.
A Los Angeles advocate can identify the responsible agency, organize records from multiple schools or providers, prepare the parent for a large-team IEP meeting, and keep the discussion tied to the child’s data rather than the size or availability of an existing program.
Compare advocates serving Los Angeles families in district, charter, and other public-school settings.
One of these advocates works from Los Angeles. The rest are based elsewhere in California. Each card names the city.
Based in Los Angeles, CA
Strategic Special Education Advocate
I combine the precision of a Columbia Law attorney with over a decade of special education leadership to help Los Angeles families navigate the IEP process with clarity, confidence, and results.
Based in Torrance, CA
Special Education Advocate
I’m April, and I'm totally excited to help you develop a solid action plan for your child! After writing thousands of reports and just as many IEPs, I developed breakthrough coaching methods, Do It…
Based in San Diego, CA
Special Education Advocate
At the Sanford Autism Advocacy Group (SAAG), we are a small but mighty special education consulting group with an emphasis on Autism and IEPs.
These advocates are not based in California. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Austin, TX · works with California schools
Special Education Advocate
Hi, My name is David Gonzales. Living in Austin, TX, but originally from Los Angeles, CA. I carry a masters degree in special education and currently practice as a sped teacher.
Virtual · based in Katy, TX · works with California schools
Special Education Advocate
Besides being a parent of a neurodivergent son, I have been a special education teacher, diagnostician, and advocate for the past 30 years. I am a true hands-on, walk in your shoes type of advocate.
Virtual · based in Coraopolis, PA · works with California schools
Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Special Education Advocate
Hi there! I'm Brittany, owner and founder of Balanced Behaviors, LLC. I'm a Behavior Analyst and Licensed Behavior Specialist in Pennsylvania with a Master’s in Special Education from Slippery Rock…
See all 24 virtual advocates who work with California families
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest local system and covers most of the City of Los Angeles plus portions of neighboring communities. The district reports more than 520,000 students across approximately 710 square miles.
A Los Angeles mailing address does not always mean the student attends LAUSD. Confirm the school district or charter authorizer by address before naming a district-specific process.
California gives a school district 60 days to finish an initial special education evaluation. A written request for an evaluation has to be answered inside 15 days. Missed deadlines are handled by the California Department of Education, Special Education Division, which takes written state complaints from parents.
The California Department of Education oversees special education in California. It does not license the advocates parents hire.
Membership in a professional body is not a licence. It usually means dues were paid and a code of conduct was signed.
Advocates charge for this. At $75 to $150 per hour, a standard IEP cycle with two hours of prep and two hours in the meeting runs about $400, and that money does not come back if the answer is still no.
Advocates who have never seen the file cannot tell you what is missing from it. Send the records first and book the call second.
One advocate listed here, Sara, works out of Los Angeles. The others reach California families by video or by driving in.
Ask whether the advocate has sat in a Los Angeles Unified School District meeting before. The answer is a yes or a no and it tells you a great deal.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Los Angeles, California, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
Does every Los Angeles student attend LAUSD?
No. LAUSD serves most of the city, but some Los Angeles-area addresses and charter schools involve other districts or authorizers. Confirm the responsible public agency before relying on district-specific contacts or procedures.
What do special education advocates charge in Los Angeles, California?
Most advocates on this directory charge $75 to $150 per hour. A standard cycle with two hours of prep and two hours in the meeting runs about $400. Travel and extra meetings cost more.
Who runs special education for Los Angeles schools?
Most of the city sits inside Los Angeles Unified School District. The district writes the plan and holds the special education budget, which is why a complaint about a missed service names the district and not the school.
Where does a written special education complaint go?
The California Department of Education takes written complaints from parents about missed deadlines and services never delivered. An advocate can prepare one. The advocate does not decide it and cannot make the district settle.
Official California links for parents in Los Angeles.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same California rules apply in San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno and the other cities listed here, or see every California advocate.
If nobody here fits, check the San Diego page next. The same California rules apply there.
Have the most recent Los Angeles Unified School District progress report open on the first call. It shows whether the goals moved at all.
