Virtual · based in Austin, TX · works with Louisiana schools
Chelsea Venegas
Educational Advocate
Chelsea Venegas is a special education advocate serving families in Austin, TX.
- From $175 per hour
- Meets by video or phone
IEP advocates in Houma, Louisiana
Advocates here work with Houma families and Terrebonne Parish Public Schools teams. Each profile lists a rate when the advocate shares one.
3 virtual advocates who work with Louisiana schools
What an advocate does for a Houma family
An advocate is a paid professional who reads the evaluation reports, drafts your concerns, sits beside you at the IEP table, and follows up on whatever the school agreed to do.
The search usually starts the week a parent reads an evaluation report and cannot tell from it whether Houma schools are offering enough.
What the work looks like
During a Houma IEP meeting an advocate writes down what the team agrees to and asks for it in the document before anyone leaves the room.
Terrebonne Parish Public Schools can charge for copies of a file. Asking to inspect the record in person instead costs nothing under federal rules.
Virtual advocates who work with Louisiana families
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 Newcastle, OK · works with Louisiana schools
Lyndon Parker
Special Education Advocate - IEP Consultant
Former special education teacher and educational advocate with experience on both sides of the IEP table.
- From $65 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Leesburg, FL · works with Louisiana schools
Evelyn Roman-Santos
CEO IEP Advocate Espanol
Evelyn Roman-Santos is a bilingual Special Education Advocate with 30 years of experience as a School Social Worker.
- From $120 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
See all 26 virtual advocates who work with Louisiana families
Which district is in the room
Terrebonne Parish Public Schools runs the IEP meetings for most Houma students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Buildings do not fund services and districts do. Ask which office is deciding before you spend a meeting arguing with the wrong one.
- District Terrebonne Parish Public Schools
- County Terrebonne Parish
- Public schools inside Houma 19
Confirm your child's district by address. Houma addresses may fall in more than one public school district.
The deadlines that apply in Louisiana
The clock that matters starts when you sign consent. In Louisiana it runs 60 business days.
Ask the Houma team for the evaluation report before the meeting, not at it, because nobody reads a long report accurately while the rest of the team waits.
Louisiana gives a school district 60 business days to finish an initial special education evaluation. A written request for an evaluation has to be answered inside 10 business days. Missed deadlines are handled by the Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Diverse Learners, which takes written state complaints from parents.
Who licenses advocates in Louisiana
Certification programs exist and some advocates hold them. None of them is issued by the Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Diverse Learners, and none of them is required to sit in a Louisiana IEP meeting.
Advocates who work Prairieville and here see the same state rules twice a week. Repetition inside one state is the practice worth paying for.
What an advocate cannot do
An advocate cannot make the district agree. What moves a district is the record you build, not the person sitting next to you, and a good advocate spends more hours on the record than in the room.
Nobody can undo a meeting you already agreed to in writing. Read the page you are asked to sign before the room empties.
Local advocates and video advocates
No advocate is listed in every city. A remote advocate who knows Louisiana rules is usually a better hire for Houma than a local one who does not.
Distance is a scheduling problem and not a legal one. Meetings run by video whenever the parent and the school both agree to it.
Houma IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Houma, Louisiana, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much does an IEP advocate cost in Houma?
Flat fees are common for a single meeting and hourly billing is common for everything else. Many advocates give a free first call. Nobody bills you through this site, so ask each person how they invoice.
At what point do parents usually call an advocate?
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.
Which school district serves Houma, Louisiana?
Most Houma families work with Terrebonne Parish Public Schools. Charter and magnet enrollment can change which agency owes the service, so ask that question before the first meeting.
Do advocates handle accommodation plans?
Nearly every advocate on this page takes both. Compare profiles for experience with accommodations, 504 meetings and school compliance, and ask the school in writing before you bring anyone to a 504 meeting.
Should my child have an IEP or a Section 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 Louisiana
Official Louisiana links for parents in Houma.
Sources for the Louisiana rules on this page
- Louisiana Administrative Code Title 28 Part CI, Bulletin 1508 Pupil Appraisal Handbook (LAC 28:CI.511.A)
- Louisiana Department of Education Dispute Resolution
- Louisiana Department of Education, A Guide to Dyslexia in Louisiana
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
Nearby cities in Louisiana
The same Louisiana rules apply in Prairieville, Slidell, Alexandria, Mandeville and the other cities listed here, or see every Louisiana advocate.
What to do next
Send the same two questions to every advocate you contact in Houma and Prairieville. Ask for the rate and for the first date they can meet.
Say the name of your school and Terrebonne Parish Public Schools in the first message. That is enough for an advocate to know whether they can take the case.
