Palatine CCSD 15 staff run the IEP meetings in Palatine. These advocates sit on your side of the table.
3 based in Illinois · 3 virtual advocates who work with Illinois schools
Advocates work for you, not for the school. That is the whole difference.
Palatine parents tend to call at one of two moments. The first is before an initial evaluation and the second is after a service quietly disappears from the plan.
The meeting itself is the smallest part of the job. Nearly all the hours go into records and email before the Palatine team ever sits down.
Note what changed at home. Teachers see one room for one hour and parents see the rest of the day.
No advocate in this directory lists Palatine as their home base. These advocates work from other parts of Illinois, and each card names the city.
Based in Arlington Heights, IL
Special Education Advocate
I am a former special education teacher, with experience in public and therapeutic day schools.
Based in Inverness, IL
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…
Based in Bloomington, IL
Founder & Advocate
Jade is a former special education teacher who has taught everything from pre-k all the way to transition classrooms with students up to age 21.
These advocates are not based in Illinois. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Austin, TX · works with Illinois 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 Austin, TX · works with Illinois schools
Educational Advocate
Chelsea Venegas is a special education advocate serving families in Austin, TX.
Virtual · based in Midland, TX · works with Illinois schools
Special Education Advocate
Kate Keenan is a special education advocate serving families in Midland, TX.
See all 23 virtual advocates who work with Illinois families
Palatine CCSD 15 runs the IEP meetings for most Palatine students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Families who move between Decatur 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. Palatine addresses may fall in more than one public school district.
A written request for an evaluation starts a second clock in Illinois, and the district has to answer inside 14 school days.
Put the request in writing and date it. An email to the Palatine school counts as writing.
Illinois gives a school district 60 school days to finish an initial special education evaluation. A written request for an evaluation has to be answered inside 14 school days. Missed deadlines are handled by the Illinois State Board of Education, Special Education Department, 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 Illinois State Board 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.
Being listed for Illinois is not the same as taking Palatine cases, so read the service area on each of the 3 in-state profiles before you write to anyone.
Advocates who take Decatur cases usually take these too. Say where you are in the first email so nobody wastes a week finding out.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Palatine, Illinois, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What do special education advocates charge in Palatine, Illinois?
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 is the difference between an IEP advocate and a special education attorney?
No. Advocates prepare for meetings, read the records and negotiate with the district. Attorneys file due process complaints and appear at hearings, which an advocate cannot do.
Can we work with an advocate who lives outside Illinois?
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.
Who runs special education for Palatine schools?
Most of the city sits inside Palatine CCSD 15. 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.
What should a records request say?
Ask in writing and address it to the district rather than the front office. Schools have to let parents inspect the education records they keep, and inspection has to happen before the next IEP meeting.
Official Illinois links for parents in Palatine.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same Illinois rules apply in Decatur, Skokie, Arlington Heights, Des Plaines and the other cities listed here, or see every Illinois advocate.
You are not limited to advocates inside Palatine. The closest listed office is in Arlington Heights, and distance matters less than whether that person has worked a case in your district.
Have the most recent Palatine CCSD 15 progress report open on the first call. It shows whether the goals moved at all.
