Virtual · based in Midland, TX · works with Connecticut schools
Kate Keenan
Special Education Advocate
Kate Keenan is a special education advocate serving families in Midland, TX.
- From $75 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
IEP advocates in Putnam, Connecticut
Special education and Section 504 advocates for Putnam School District families in Putnam.
3 virtual advocates who work with Connecticut schools
What an IEP advocate is
Hiring one is optional. Nothing in federal law requires a parent to bring an advocate to an IEP meeting.
The search usually starts the week a parent reads an evaluation report and cannot tell from it whether Putnam schools are offering enough.
Before and after a Putnam IEP meeting
After the meeting the work is dull. The advocate reads the draft against the notes and sends a correction back the same week.
Request the full file in writing before you hire anyone. Schools have to give parents the education records they keep.
Virtual advocates who work with Connecticut families
These advocates are not based in Connecticut. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Inverness, IL · works with Connecticut schools
Arielle Allen
Special Education Advocate
I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders at Michigan State University and a Master’s of Education from DePaul University, with a dual certification in elementary and…
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Deaf-Blindness, Developmental Delay
- Contact for rate
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in San Diego, CA · works with Connecticut schools
Sanford Autism Advocacy Group
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.
- Autism, Other Health Impairment, Speech/Language, IDEA
- From $200 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
See all 25 virtual advocates who work with Connecticut families
The district behind a Putnam IEP
Putnam School District runs the IEP meetings for most Putnam students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
A Greenwich parent group can tell you how the same district handled a case like yours, which is worth more to read than a policy page.
- District Putnam School District
- County Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region
- Public schools inside Putnam 3
Confirm your child's district by address before you send a letter or name a district-specific process.
What the clock is here
Federal law lets a state write its own evaluation deadline instead of using the national one. What Connecticut actually requires is 45 school days from the referral.
Put the request in writing and date it. An email to the Putnam school counts as writing.
Connecticut gives a school district 45 school days from the referral to finish an initial special education evaluation. A written request for an evaluation has to be answered inside 5 school days. Missed deadlines are handled by the Connecticut State Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, which takes written state complaints from parents.
No license, no required certification
Training varies, and so does what it proves. A parent who asks how many Putnam IEP meetings an advocate sat in last year learns more than a certificate would show.
Check the references and not the letters after the name. Two calls to past clients settle it faster than any credential list.
Where advocacy stops
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.
Putnam School District is allowed to say no. What it is not allowed to do is say no without written notice that explains the reason.
Who serves Putnam today
No advocate is listed in every city. A remote advocate who knows Connecticut rules is usually a better hire for Putnam than a local one who does not.
Experience with Putnam School District matters more than the number of years printed on a profile page.
Putnam IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Putnam, Connecticut, 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.
What district will be at my IEP meeting in Putnam?
Most of the city sits inside Putnam 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.
How many days does an initial evaluation take?
Connecticut sets its own deadline and it is 45 school days from the referral. Federal law lets a state do that, so a timeline a parent reads on a national site may not be the one running here.
How many advocates on this page are based in Connecticut?
Every card on this page names the city the advocate works from. Advocates listed under the virtual heading live somewhere else and work with families here by video or phone.
How do I file a state special education complaint in Connecticut?
Written complaints go to the Connecticut State Department of Education. It decides on the paperwork rather than at a hearing, so dates and documents are what the decision turns on.
Official special education resources in Connecticut
Official Connecticut links for parents in Putnam.
Sources for the Connecticut rules on this page
- Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, Children Requiring Special Education, published by CSDE (Conn. Agencies Regs. § 10-76d-13(a)(1) and § 10-76a-1(5))
- CSDE Special Education Legal and Due Process Resources
- CSDE Bureau of Special Education
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
Nearby cities in Connecticut
The same Connecticut rules apply in Greenwich, West Hartford, New Britain, Danbury and the other cities listed here, or see every Connecticut advocate.
Before you contact anyone
Print the current IEP and bring it to the first call. Every advocate on the Putnam list will ask for it.
Keep a one-page timeline of what happened and when. Every advocate you talk to will start by building the same thing.
