Based in Cumming, GA
Russell Lloyd
Founder
Russell Lloyd is a special education advocate serving families in Cumming, GA.
- From $95 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
IEP advocates in Cumming, Georgia
1 advocate based in Cumming, plus advocates who work with Georgia schools by video.
4 based in Georgia · 3 virtual advocates who work with Georgia 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.
Families in Cumming and Flowery Branch run into the same problem. The school says the current plan is working, and the progress report shows the same goal repeated from last year with the same numbers under it.
Before and after a Cumming IEP meeting
Paperwork is where cases are won or lost, and an advocate who has read every progress report in the file will find the sentence a Cumming team wrote two years ago that contradicts what it is saying now.
Read the evaluation report twice. The second read is where the missing service usually shows up.
Advocates based in Cumming and elsewhere in Georgia
One of these advocates works from Cumming. The rest are based elsewhere in Georgia. Each card names the city.
Based in Flowery Branch, GA
Andrea Westmoreland
Special education advocate/ IEP consultant
I am a certified special education teacher and I am also a behavior specialist. I am also a mother to a child with Behavioral issues on an IEP, and another child with a 504.
- From $75 per hour
- Meets in person
Based in Atlanta, GA
Jalani Traxler
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.
- Dyslexia, Early Childhood, Emotional Regulation, ESY
- From $65 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Based in Atlanta, GA
Ms. Dixon, Psy.S.
School Psychologist & Parent Advocate
I’m a certified School Psychologist, Parent Advocate, and Coach dedicated to helping families navigate special education with confidence.
- Anxiety, ADHD / Attention, Autism Spectrum, Behavioral & Emotional
- From $100 per hour
- Meets by video or phone
Virtual advocates who work with Georgia families
These advocates are not based in Georgia. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in San Antonio, TX · works with Georgia schools
Nicole Santiago
FamilyADDventures.com
Nicole Santiago is a learning specialist and an advocate (IEP coach). She is a member of COPAA.org and ensures special education students receive the most appropriate educational services possible.
- Autism Spectrum, Behavioral Support, Learning Disabilities, IDEA
- Contact for rate
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Katy, TX · works with Georgia schools
Sunnye Garza
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.
- From $100 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Newcastle, OK · works with Georgia schools
Lyndon Parker
Special Education Advocate - IEP Consultant
Former special education teacher and educational advocate with experience on both sides of the IEP table.
- From $65 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
The district behind a Cumming IEP
Forsyth County Public Schools runs the IEP meetings for most Cumming students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Parents in Flowery Branch face the same paperwork. Rules do not change from one town to the next inside a state.
- District Forsyth County Public Schools
- County Forsyth County
- Public schools inside Cumming 30
- Size Cumming is the 99th-largest city in Georgia by the 2024 Census estimate
- Closest listed advocate Flowery Branch, GA
Confirm your child's district by address before you send a letter or name a district-specific process.
What the clock is here
The clock that matters starts when you sign consent. In Georgia it runs 60 calendar days.
If the Cumming team says no, ask for the refusal in writing.
Georgia gives a school district 60 calendar days to finish an initial special education evaluation. No Georgia rule sets a separate deadline for answering a written request, so the federal reasonable-time standard is what applies. Georgia Department of Education, Division for Exceptional Children oversees special education in the state.
No license, no required certification
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.
Where advocacy stops
No advocate can promise a placement or an outcome in Cumming. Anyone who does is selling you something.
Forsyth County Public Schools is allowed to say no. What it is not allowed to do is say no without written notice that explains the reason.
Who serves Cumming today
One advocate listed here, Russell, works out of Cumming. The others reach Georgia families by video or by driving in.
Experience with Forsyth County Public Schools matters more than the number of years printed on a profile page.
Cumming IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Cumming, Georgia, 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.
Is remote IEP advocacy allowed?
Yes. IDEA, the federal special education law, requires parent participation in IEP meetings and allows alternative means such as video or phone when you and the school agree. Your advocate does not have to live nearby.
What district will be at my IEP meeting in Cumming?
Most of the city sits inside Forsyth County Public Schools. 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.
Is a 504 plan weaker than an IEP?
The short version. IEP means the school changes what is taught and how, and Section 504 means the school changes the conditions around it.
How do I file a state special education complaint in Georgia?
Written complaints go to the Georgia 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 Georgia
Official Georgia links for parents in Cumming.
Sources for the Georgia rules on this page
- GaDOE Special Education
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 160-4-7-.04, Evaluations and Reevaluations (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 160-4-7-.04(1)(b)1.)
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
Nearby cities in Georgia
The same Georgia rules apply in Flowery Branch, Oakwood, College Park, Hoschton and the other cities listed here, or see every Georgia advocate.
Before you contact anyone
Send the same two questions to every advocate you contact in Cumming and Flowery Branch. Ask for the rate and for the first date they can meet.
Free calls are common. Use them to compare people, not to collect advice for nothing.