Iowa advocates who help with evaluations, IEP goals, Section 504 plans, and school meetings. Rates are listed on each profile.
8 virtual advocates who work with Iowa schools
Most parents hire one after a meeting has already gone badly.
Families across Iowa call for the same two reasons. A school has said no to testing, or a service that used to be in the plan is gone.
Before the meeting an advocate reads the plan against the evaluation and pulls the progress data to see whether the goals actually moved.
Read the report a second time. What is missing usually turns up on that pass and not the first one.
These advocates are not based in Iowa. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Leonardtown, MD · works with Iowa schools
Special Education Advocate
Douglas Hubscher is the Founder and President of Kids Are First, LLC, a special education advocacy firm dedicated to helping families navigate the IEP and 504 process with confidence, clarity, and…
Virtual · based in Atlanta, GA · works with Iowa 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 Coraopolis, PA · works with Iowa 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…
Virtual · based in Newcastle, OK · works with Iowa schools
Special Education Advocate - IEP Consultant
Former special education teacher and educational advocate with experience on both sides of the IEP table.
Virtual · based in Hialeah, FL · works with Iowa schools
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.
Virtual · based in Leesburg, FL · works with Iowa schools
CEO IEP Advocate Espanol
Evelyn Roman-Santos is a bilingual Special Education Advocate with 30 years of experience as a School Social Worker.
Virtual · based in San Diego, CA · works with Iowa 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 Philadelphia, PA · works with Iowa schools
Educational Consultant
I began this journey because my own daughter was issued an IEP in 3rd grade. I didn't understand special education.
The Iowa Department of Education publishes a complaint form and a mailing address for parents who need one.
Public schools in this state served 67,977 students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 2023-24.
States are allowed to write their own evaluation deadline instead of using the federal one. What Iowa requires is 60 calendar days.
Keep every email. Much of what an advocate does with a file is date-stamping what the school already told you.
Send the complaint to ideadisputeresolution@iowa.gov, or mail it to the IDEA Complaint Investigation Team, Iowa Department of Education, Grimes State Office Building, 400 E. 14th St., Des Moines, IA 50319-0146. A copy goes to your school district and to your AEA, both of them, at the same time.
Decision timeline
The 60 days do not start on the day the department receives it. Day one is the calendar day after all required parties have the complaint, so a missing copy to the AEA holds the clock.
Iowa does not license or certify special education advocates. Anyone here can print a card with the word advocate on it.
Advocates who work Des Moines and Cedar Rapids cases see the same state rules twice a week, and repetition inside one state is the practice worth paying for.
Hiring somebody does not pause a deadline or undo a meeting that already happened. The work starts from wherever the file sits today.
Districts in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids answer to the parent on the paperwork, so an advocate can draft the letter and you still have to be the one who sends it.
Rates and openings decide most of this. Anyone who cannot meet before your meeting date is the wrong hire, and the second-best advocate who is free this month beats the best one who is not.
Read a profile for what the advocate actually did and not for what the profile claims. Case detail is the tell.
Federal rules put no distance requirement on who a parent may bring. Your advocate does not have to live in Iowa.
Distance changes the cost and not the law. Somebody working remotely bills for reading and for the meeting, and never for the drive.
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
Browse by city or take the statewide list. The rules are the same either way.
Contact
Write to two people rather than six. The first email should carry the district and the meeting date.
Hire
Approve the hours in advance. Most advocates will not bill past an agreed number without asking.
Work together
Keep the timeline updated as things happen. It is the document every later step is built from.
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 Iowa, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What is the hourly rate for a parent advocate?
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.
When should I hire a special education advocate in Iowa?
Most parents call after a school says no to testing, after goals repeat unchanged for a year, or a week before an annual review. Earlier is cheaper. An advocate hired the night before a meeting can only read so much.
How long can a school take to test my child?
Iowa 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.
What can I do if I cannot afford an advocate?
Every state has a federally funded Parent Training and Information Center that answers questions at no charge. Free help usually means general guidance rather than somebody sitting next to you in the meeting.
How do I get my child school records?
Ask for the full file, which means every evaluation, the progress data behind each goal and any email where the school said no. Put it in writing and keep the date.
What should I have ready before the first call with an advocate?
Bring the current IEP or 504 plan, the most recent evaluation report, the last two progress reports and any email where the school said no. An advocate who has those before the call can tell you what is missing in ten minutes.
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 2026-08-11.
