Find an advocate for your next District of Columbia IEP meeting. Advocates are not attorneys and cannot represent you in court.
8 virtual advocates who work with District of Columbia schools
The role is narrow and useful. An advocate knows what the school owes your child and holds the team to the date it agreed to.
Parents in District of Columbia usually start looking the week an evaluation report lands and they cannot tell from it whether the school is offering enough.
Most of what gets paid for in District of Columbia happens by email.
Request the whole file in writing before you hire anyone. Schools have to hand parents the education records they keep.
These advocates are not based in District of Columbia. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Cumming, GA · works with District of Columbia schools
Founder
I’m Russell Lloyd, founder of YourChild.org, author, mentor, and special education advocate. I review the record, find the gaps, build the strategy, prepare the parent, and lead IEP meetings.
Virtual · based in Atlanta, GA · works with District of Columbia schools
School Psychologist & Parent Advocate
I’m a certified School Psychologist, Parent Advocate, and Coach dedicated to helping families navigate special education with confidence.
Virtual · based in Austin, TX · works with District of Columbia 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 Kansas City, MO · works with District of Columbia schools
Navigate Special Education with Clarity and Confidence - Guiding Families. Building Futures.
Dr. Diane is a special education advocate and founder of Steppingstone Services, LLC. She holds a Ph.D.
Virtual · based in Arlington Heights, IL · works with District of Columbia schools
Special Education Advocate
I am a former special education teacher, with experience in public and therapeutic day schools.
Virtual · based in Hawthorne, NJ · works with District of Columbia schools
IEP Consultant, School Social Worker, Advocacy
I am a Child Study Team School Social Worker, with a Master of Social Work from Fordham University. I have core competencies in special education law, mental health, and behavioral health.
Virtual · based in San Diego, CA · works with District of Columbia 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 Coraopolis, PA · works with District of Columbia 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…
District of Columbia sets the rules and the district applies them. That split is why a complaint about a missed service names the district.
Scale is not the point. A district with one experienced case manager often runs better meetings than a district with forty schools.
States are allowed to write their own evaluation deadline instead of using the federal one. What District of Columbia requires is 60 calendar days.
Ask for the evaluation report before the meeting rather than at it, because nobody reads a long report accurately while the rest of the team waits.
OSSE's State Complaint Office investigates written complaints that a public agency broke IDEA or District special education rules. Email a signed complaint to osse.ideastatecomplaints@dc.gov, or mail it to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Specialized Education, 1050 First St. NE, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20002. The model form is optional.
Decision timeline
OSSE has 60 days to issue a Letter of Decision, unless exceptional circumstances apply to that complaint. The parent and the public agency can agree to extend that clock to try mediation. The letter is final at OSSE. If the issue is still open, a parent can request mediation or file a due process complaint.
Training varies, and so does what it proves. A parent who asks how many District of Columbia IEP meetings an advocate sat in last year learns more than a certificate would show.
Membership in a professional body is not a license. It usually means dues were paid and a code of conduct was signed.
No advocate can promise a placement or an outcome in District of Columbia. Anyone who does is selling you something.
What worked for a family in Washington may not fit yours, and the first thing worth asking an advocate is what is different about your file.
No advocate covers every district. A remote advocate who knows District of Columbia rules is usually a better hire than a local one who does not.
Experience with the district your child attends matters more than the number of years printed on a profile page.
IDEA requires parent participation in IEP meetings and allows a meeting to run by video or phone when you and the school agree.
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 District of Columbia, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What do special education advocates charge in District of Columbia?
Flat fees are common for a single meeting and hourly billing is common for everything else. Many advocates give a free first call. Nobody bills you through this site, so ask each person how they invoice.
Can we work with an advocate who lives outside District of Columbia?
Video is normal now. A remote advocate reads the file, drafts your concerns and joins the meeting by phone. What a remote advocate cannot do is walk the building or read the room.
What is the evaluation deadline in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia sets its own deadline and it is 60 calendar days. Federal law lets a state do that, so a timeline a parent reads on a national site may not be the one running here.
Can I bring an advocate to a Section 504 meeting?
Yes. Section 504 work looks the same as IEP work, which is records, a written request and somebody in the room who knows what the school already agreed to.
What should a records request say?
A district can charge for copies. Asking to inspect the record in person costs nothing under federal rules, and it is usually faster than waiting for a copy set.
What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan?
An IEP provides specialized instruction and related services under IDEA. A 504 plan provides accommodations under a civil rights law and does not require specialized instruction. Eligibility rules differ, so a child can qualify for one and not the other.
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 2026-08-29.
