Find an advocate for your next Louisiana IEP meeting. Advocates are not attorneys and cannot represent you in court.
8 virtual advocates who work with Louisiana schools
Nobody is required to bring one. Federal law lets a parent walk into an IEP meeting alone.
Search happens late. Most people reach this page with a meeting already on the calendar.
After the meeting the work is dull. The draft comes back and somebody has to read it against the notes and send a correction the same week.
Families in Shreveport ask for progress data as a table of dates and numbers rather than a paragraph, because a table shows whether a goal moved and a paragraph does not.
These advocates are not based in Louisiana. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Las Vegas, NV · works with Louisiana schools
IEP Consultant
Hey there! I’ve been a special education teacher for nearly a decade, so helping unique learners thrive is truly my life’s work.
Virtual · based in Hawthorne, NJ · works with Louisiana 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 Kansas City, MO · works with Louisiana schools
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.
Virtual · based in Hialeah, FL · works with Louisiana 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 Coraopolis, PA · works with Louisiana 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 San Diego, CA · works with Louisiana 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 San Antonio, TX · works with Louisiana schools
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.
Virtual · based in Bowie, MD · works with Louisiana schools
Independent Education Consultant
I am a licensed school counselor with extensive experience supporting students with IEPs and 504 plans, providing academic and career counseling, and guiding families through critical educational…
The state does not attend your meeting. It steps in afterward, once somebody puts a complaint in writing.
Scale is not the point. A district with one experienced case manager often runs better meetings than a district with forty schools.
States are allowed to write their own evaluation deadline instead of using the federal one. What Louisiana requires is 60 business days.
Advocates who take New Orleans cases and advocates who take Shreveport cases work from the same statute, so ask about district experience rather than distance.
Louisiana routes formal complaints to the department's Legal Division, not its Diverse Learners staff. Email the signed complaint to disputeresolution.doe@la.gov, fax it to 225-342-1197, or mail it to the Legal Division, Louisiana Department of Education, P.O. Box 94064, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9064.
Decision timeline
Louisiana does not run one 60-day clock. The department sends your complaint to the district first for a 15-day early resolution period, and the investigator then has 45 days after that ends. Waive early resolution and it is 60 days from receipt. Email after 4:30 p.m. is dated the next business day.
Attorneys are licensed. Advocates in Louisiana are not, and the difference matters most when a case gets close to a hearing and the district starts talking to its own lawyer.
A certificate says nothing about New Orleans. Ask what the advocate has filed with a district here and what came back.
Advocates are not attorneys. No advocate in Louisiana can file a lawsuit for you or give you legal advice about the case.
What worked for a family in New Orleans may not fit yours, and the first thing worth asking an advocate is what is different about your file.
Video is normal now. 23 of the advocates listed for Louisiana work with families by phone or video instead of driving to the school.
Ask for two references from cases like yours. Somebody who cannot produce one has not worked many.
Video costs less when travel would otherwise be billed. It also removes the excuse that nobody could get to the building.
A phone call cannot read a classroom. If the question is whether the placement fits, somebody has to go and look.
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
Read the profiles on this page. Rates, service area and case history are the three worth comparing.
Contact
Write to two people rather than six. The first email should carry the district and the meeting date.
Hire
You hire the advocate directly. The agreement is between the two of you.
Work together
Send the file, take the prep call and go into the meeting with a written list.
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 Louisiana, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What is the hourly rate for a parent advocate?
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.
When should I hire a special education advocate in Louisiana?
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.
Can I hire a virtual advocate if we live in Louisiana?
Video is normal now. A remote advocate reads the file, drafts your concerns and joins the meeting by phone. What a remote advocate cannot do is walk the building or read the room.
Can an advocate help with a 504 plan and not an IEP?
Yes, and the rules differ slightly. Section 504 does not spell out who may attend the way IDEA does, so ask the school in writing before the meeting and keep the answer.
How do I get my child school records?
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.
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.
