Pasco County Public Schools staff run the IEP meetings in Port Richey. These advocates sit on your side of the table.
3 based in Florida · 3 virtual advocates who work with Florida schools
Advocates work for you, not for the school. That is the whole difference.
The search usually starts the week a parent reads an evaluation report and cannot tell from it whether Port Richey schools are offering enough.
The meeting itself is the smallest part of the job. Nearly all the hours go into records and email before the Port Richey team ever sits down.
Request the full file in writing before you hire anyone. Schools have to give parents the education records they keep.
No advocate in this directory lists Port Richey as their home base. These advocates work from other parts of Florida, and each card names the city.
Based in Wesley Chapel, FL
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.
Based in Leesburg, FL
CEO IEP Advocate Espanol
Evelyn Roman-Santos is a bilingual Special Education Advocate with 30 years of experience as a School Social Worker.
Based in Hialeah, FL
Advocate
Hello! I look forward to helping families and their students get the crucial support they need. I have varied experience working with families and educators at the state and local levels.
These advocates are not based in Florida. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Kansas City, MO · works with Florida 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 New York, NY · works with Florida schools
Special Education Advocate
Clara Liriano, M.S., is a Special Education Advocate and New York State Certified Special Education Teacher with more than 20 years of experience supporting children and individuals with…
Virtual · based in Midland, TX · works with Florida schools
Special Education Advocate
Kate Keenan is a special education advocate serving families in Midland, TX.
Pasco County Public Schools runs the IEP meetings for most Port Richey students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Families who move between Holiday and here change districts, and the new team is not required to keep the old plan word for word.
Confirm your child's district by address before you send a letter or name a district-specific process.
The clock that matters starts when you sign consent. In Florida it runs 60 calendar days.
Write down what you want the school to add, in one page, before you walk into the Port Richey meeting, because a team that reads your list in advance cannot pretend it never came up.
Florida gives a school district 60 calendar days to finish an initial special education evaluation. A written request for an evaluation has to be answered inside 30 days. Missed deadlines are handled by the Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services, which takes written state complaints from parents.
No state license exists for special education advocacy. No federal agency issues one either, and no exam stands between a person and the title.
Membership in a professional body is not a licence. It usually means dues were paid and a code of conduct was signed.
Advocates do not decide complaints. The Florida Department of Education does, and only after someone files one in writing.
You sign, not the advocate. Consent and the plan itself both need a parent signature.
No advocate is listed in every city. A remote advocate who knows Florida rules is usually a better hire for Port Richey than a local one who does not.
Experience with Pasco County Public Schools matters more than the number of years printed on a profile page.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Port Richey, Florida, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much should I budget for one IEP meeting?
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.
What district will be at my IEP meeting in Port Richey?
Most Port Richey families work with Pasco County Public Schools. Charter and magnet enrollment can change which agency owes the service, so ask that question before the first meeting.
Does the state provide a free advocate?
Free guidance exists. Parent centers, disability rights agencies and local parent groups all give it, and none of them will attend the meeting as your representative.
What is the fastest way to see the school file?
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.
How do I file a state special education complaint in Florida?
The Florida 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 Florida links for parents in Port Richey.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same Florida rules apply in Holiday, Orange Park, Dade City, Hudson and the other cities listed here, or see every Florida advocate.
If nobody here fits, check the Holiday page next. The same Florida rules apply there.
Keep a one-page timeline of what happened and when. Every advocate you talk to will start by building the same thing.
