Des Moines Independent Community School District staff run the IEP meetings in Des Moines. These advocates sit on your side of the table.
3 virtual advocates who work with Iowa schools
Advocates work for you, not for the school. That is the whole difference.
Des Moines 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 Des Moines team ever sits down.
Read the evaluation report twice. The second read is where the missing service usually shows up.
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 Hawthorne, NJ · works with Iowa 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 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 Inverness, IL · works with Iowa schools
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…
Des Moines Independent Community School District runs the IEP meetings for most Des Moines students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Families who move between Cedar Rapids 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. Des Moines addresses may fall in more than one public school district.
Once you sign consent for testing, an Iowa district has 60 calendar days to finish an initial evaluation, and that clock does not stop because a case manager is out or the file went to the wrong building.
If the Des Moines team says no, ask for the refusal in writing.
Iowa gives a school district 60 calendar days to finish an initial special education evaluation. No Iowa rule sets a separate deadline for answering a written request, so the federal reasonable-time standard is what applies. Missed deadlines are handled by the Iowa Department of Education, Division of Special Education, which takes written state complaints from parents.
The Iowa Department of Education oversees special education in Iowa. It does not license the advocates parents hire.
Check the references and not the letters after the name. Two calls to past clients settle it faster than any credential list.
No advocate can promise a placement or an outcome in Des Moines. Anyone who does is selling you something.
Advocates who have never seen the file cannot tell you what is missing from it. Send the records first and book the call second.
Rates and openings decide most of this. An advocate who cannot meet before your Des Moines meeting date is the wrong hire, and the second-best advocate who is free this month usually beats the best one who is not.
Experience with Des Moines Independent Community School District matters more than the number of years printed on a profile page.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Des Moines, Iowa, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What do special education advocates charge in Des Moines, Iowa?
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.
Can we work with an advocate who lives outside Iowa?
Yes, with one condition. The school has to agree to the meeting format, so put the request in writing before the date is set.
Who runs special education for Des Moines schools?
Most Des Moines families work with Des Moines Independent Community School District. Charter and magnet enrollment can change which agency owes the service, so ask that question before the first meeting.
What is the evaluation deadline in Iowa?
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 should a records request say?
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.
Official Iowa links for parents in Des Moines.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same Iowa rules apply in Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Ankeny and the other cities listed here, or see every Iowa advocate.
Search is free. You contact advocates directly.
Have the most recent Des Moines Independent Community School District progress report open on the first call. It shows whether the goals moved at all.
