Virtual · based in Lamar, CO · works with Kansas schools
Jordan Kemp
Special Education Advocate
Jordan Kemp is a special education advocate serving families in Lamar, CO.
- From $95 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
IEP advocates in Kansas
Find an advocate for your next Kansas IEP meeting. Advocates are not attorneys and cannot represent you in court.
8 virtual advocates who work with Kansas schools
What an IEP advocate is
Advocacy is paid work. The person you hire answers to you and not to the school district.
Kansas is one state with one set of deadlines, and the district running your school is where the real answer comes from.
Before and after the IEP meeting
Coaching is common in Kansas. Some parents pay for two hours of prep and then walk into the meeting on their own.
An advocate in Wichita and one three hours away work from the same rulebook, so send the file before you book the call.
Virtual advocates who work with Kansas families
These advocates are not based in Kansas. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Cumming, GA · works with Kansas schools
Russell Lloyd
Founder
I’m Russell Lloyd, founder of YourChild.org, author, mentor, and special education advocate. I review the record, find the gaps, build the strategy, prepare the parent, and lead IEP meetings.
- Anxiety, ADHD / Attention, Autism Spectrum, Behavioral & Emotional
- From $95 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Kansas City, MO · works with Kansas schools
Diane Plunkett
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.
- Behavioral & Emotional, Behavioral Support, Developmental Delay, Early Childhood
- From $150 per hour
- Free first call
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Austin, TX · works with Kansas schools
David Gonzales
Special Education Advocate
David Gonzales is a special education advocate serving families in Austin, TX.
- From $50 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Inverness, IL · works with Kansas schools
Arielle Allen
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…
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Deaf-Blindness, Developmental Delay
- Contact for rate
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Hawthorne, NJ · works with Kansas schools
Dalia Rodriguez
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.
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Developmental Delay, Intellectual Disability
- Contact for rate
- Meets by video or phone
Virtual · based in Coraopolis, PA · works with Kansas schools
Brittany Maurizi
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…
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Developmental Delay, Intellectual Disability
- From $75 per hour
- Free first call
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Wesley Chapel, FL · works with Kansas schools
Angela Picardi
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.
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Intellectual Disability, Learning Disabilities
- Contact for rate
- Meets in person or by video
Who runs special education in Kansas
The Kansas State Department of Education runs special education for the whole state. It writes the rules the district in front of you has to follow.
26,885 students in this state carry a specific learning disability, which is the largest single category in nearly every state.
- State education agency Kansas State Department of Education, Special Education team, Division of Learning Services
- Students served under IDEA 73,795 in 2023-24 · IDEA Part B child count
- Initial evaluation deadline 60 school days
- Cities with an advocate page here 10
What the clock is here
The clock parents care about starts at consent. In Kansas it runs 60 school days.
Write what you want the school to add on one page and send it in advance, because a team that has read your list cannot pretend it never came up.
Filing a state complaint in Kansas
Kansas calls it a formal complaint, and it covers gifted children as well as children with disabilities. Email it to formalcomplaints@ksde.gov, or mail or hand deliver it to Special Education and Title Services, Kansas State Department of Education, 900 SW Jackson, Suite 620, Topeka, KS 66612.
What the complaint must include
- A signature. The complaint has to be written and signed.
- A copy to the public agency you are filing against, sent when you file with the state.
- The Formal Complaint Request Form, revised October 2025, is a sample. Another document with the same content works.
- Either side can appeal the report to the Kansas Commissioner of Education within 10 days of its date.
Decision timeline
Kansas writes the report in 30 calendar days, not 60, counted from the day the complaint arrives at the department. Email that lands after 5 p.m., on a weekend, on a state holiday, or on a declared inclement weather day counts as filed the next business day.
No license, no required certification
The Kansas State Department of Education oversees special education in Kansas. It does not license the advocates parents hire.
Membership in a professional body is not a license. It usually means dues were paid and a code of conduct was signed.
Where advocacy stops
Advocates do not decide complaints. The Kansas State Department of Education does, and only after somebody files one in writing.
A district is allowed to say no. What it cannot do is say no without written notice that explains the reason.
Who serves Kansas today
Being listed for Kansas is not the same as taking every case here, so read the service area on each profile before you write to anyone.
Nobody here is assigned to you. You compare the profiles and write to whoever fits, in Overland Park or three hours away.
Remote IEP advocacy is allowed under IDEA
IDEA requires parent participation in IEP meetings and allows a meeting to run by video or phone when you and the school agree.
Travel is the line item parents notice. Removing it usually takes a few hundred dollars off a standard engagement.
How it works
How Find Parent Advocates 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
Compare advocates across Kansas, including virtual options. Filter by rate, reviews and focus area.
Contact
Reach out to whoever fits. Most advocates start with a free call.
Hire
Agree the scope and the rate in writing before any work starts.
Work together
Work through the records, the letter and the meeting in that order.
Find Parent Advocates is not a party to your contractual relationship with the advocate. We are not responsible for the fees or services provided.
Kansas IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Kansas, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What do special education advocates charge in Kansas?
Rates run $75 to $250 per hour. What moves the number is experience, the type of case, and whether anyone has to drive to the meeting. Profiles here show the rate when the advocate publishes one.
Do I need an advocate for a routine annual review?
Bring somebody in when the file stops making sense to you. A routine review with services in place and progress data that moves usually does not need one.
What is the evaluation deadline in Kansas?
The rule here is 60 school days. It covers the evaluation only. Writing the plan after a child is found eligible is a separate step with its own timing.
Are there free IEP advocates in Kansas?
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.
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.
What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan?
An IEP provides specialized instruction and related services under IDEA. A 504 plan provides accommodations under a civil rights law and does not require specialized instruction. Eligibility rules differ, so a child can qualify for one and not the other.
Official special education resources in Kansas
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.
Sources for the Kansas rules on this page
- K.A.R. 91-40-8, Evaluations, authenticated regulation text (K.A.R. 91-40-8(f))
- Kansas Special Education Process Handbook, chapter 3, reproducing K.A.R. 91-40-8(f) through (h) (K.A.R. 91-40-8(f))
- KSDE Contact
- KSDE Special Education Dispute Resolution
- KSDE Kansas Special Education Process Handbook, Chapter 11 Formal Complaint (K.A.R. 91-40-51, Process Handbook ch. 11, rev 7/30/26)
- KSDE Formal Complaint Request Form (Formal Complaint Request Form, Rev. October 2025)
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
