Find an advocate for your next Colorado IEP meeting. Advocates are not attorneys and cannot represent you in court.
1 based in Colorado · 8 virtual advocates who work with Colorado schools
Advocacy is paid work. The person you hire answers to you and not to the school district.
This site publishes advocate pages for 19 Colorado cities, and the deadline described on every one of them is the same, because the deadline is written into state rules.
Coaching is common in Colorado. Some parents pay for two hours of prep and then walk into the meeting on their own.
Request the whole file in writing before you hire anyone. Schools have to hand parents the education records they keep.
This advocate lists Colorado as their home base. Compare rates, read their background, and message them directly.
By video
Join on Zoom, Google Meet, or the school's platform.
By phone
Call in when video is not an option.
In person
Some advocates travel to the school when needed.
Based in Lamar, CO
Special Education Advocate
I’ve been a science teacher, a Director of Financial Aid, and a Dean of Students at a rural community college — always at the table with students and families navigating systems not built for them.
These advocates are not based in Colorado. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Leesburg, FL · works with Colorado schools
CEO IEP Advocate Espanol
Evelyn Roman-Santos is a bilingual Special Education Advocate with 30 years of experience as a School Social Worker.
Virtual · based in Atlanta, GA · works with Colorado schools
Special Education Advocate
My name is Jalani Traxler and I have loved teaching sense I myself was a student with an IEP receiving my own accommodations in elementary school.
Virtual · based in Philadelphia, PA · works with Colorado schools
Educational Consultant
I began this journey because my own daughter was issued an IEP in 3rd grade. I didn't understand special education.
Virtual · based in Los Angeles, CA · works with Colorado schools
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.
Virtual · based in Harrisburg, PA · works with Colorado schools
Special Education Advocate
I’m a special education teacher with experience supporting students with behavioral, intellectual, and learning needs.
Virtual · based in Wesley Chapel, FL · works with Colorado schools
Special Education Advocate
With 24 years of experience in the K-12 sector, I serves as a Student Support Specialist specializing in academic and behavioral ESE services.
Virtual · based in San Diego, CA · works with Colorado schools
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.
Virtual · based in Austin, TX · works with Colorado 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.
The Colorado Department of Education runs special education for the whole state. It writes the rules the district in front of you has to follow.
The number that matters is the one in your file. Statewide totals tell you how common this is and nothing about your child.
The deadline for finishing an initial evaluation in Colorado is 60 calendar days. Put that date on the calendar the day the paperwork goes in.
If the team says no, ask for the refusal in writing.
Mail or hand-deliver the complaint to the IDEA Part B State Complaints Officer, Colorado Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services Unit, Dispute Resolution Office, 201 E. Colfax Ave., Room 402, Denver, CO 80203. Faxed and emailed complaints are not accepted. CDE says a secure electronic option is coming.
Decision timeline
CDE has 60 calendar days from the date the complaint is properly filed. Anything that arrives outside 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on a weekday, or on a state holiday, counts as arriving the next workday. Within 10 calendar days of receiving it, CDE writes to tell you whether the complaint was accepted or rejected.
The Colorado Department of Education oversees special education in Colorado. It does not license the advocates parents hire.
Ask what training the advocate actually finished and who ran it. A one-day webinar and a two-year program both end in a certificate.
This costs money. At $75 to $150 per hour, a standard Colorado 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.
You sign, not the advocate. Consent and the plan itself both need a parent signature.
One advocate listed here, Jordan, gives a Colorado home address. The rest reach families in the state by video or by driving in.
Somebody who takes Denver cases usually takes cases in the towns around it, so say where you are in the first email.
No rule ties an advocate to an address inside the state. What matters is whether the person knows the state deadlines and the district habits.
Travel is the line item parents notice. Removing it usually takes a few hundred dollars off a standard engagement.
How it works
Find Parent Advocates is a free directory, not a referral service. You browse profiles, compare rates and reviews, and contact the advocate you choose. We do not assign anyone to you.
Browse
Start with the list on this page and open two or three profiles.
Contact
Contact the advocate directly. Nothing on this site routes your message through us.
Hire
Confirm what the first task will be and what it costs. A vague answer here predicts a vague invoice.
Work together
The advocate follows up after the meeting. Reading the draft against the notes is where corrections get caught.
Find Parent Advocates is not a party to your contractual relationship with the advocate. We are not responsible for the fees or services provided.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Colorado, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much should I budget for one IEP meeting?
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.
Can an advocate represent me at a due process hearing in Colorado?
An advocate is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice or file a lawsuit. What an advocate can do is build the written record a lawyer would need later.
Do advocates here work on Section 504 plans in Colorado?
Yes, and the rules differ slightly. Section 504 does not spell out who may attend the way IDEA does, so ask the school in writing before the meeting and keep the answer.
Does the state provide a free advocate?
Every state has a federally funded Parent Training and Information Center that answers questions at no charge. Free help usually means general guidance rather than somebody sitting next to you in the meeting.
How do I file a state special education complaint in Colorado?
Written complaints go to the Colorado Department of Education. It decides on the paperwork rather than at a hearing, so dates and documents are what the decision turns on.
What should I bring to the IEP meeting?
Start with a one-page timeline of what happened and when. Every advocate you talk to will build the same thing, so writing it yourself saves an hour of billed time.
These links connect you to your state education agency and complaint options. Advocates on this page can also explain what each step means for your child.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
