Advocates here work with Augusta families and Augusta Public Schools teams. Each profile lists a rate when the advocate shares one.
3 virtual advocates who work with Maine schools
An IEP advocate goes to school meetings with you and argues for services your child is not getting.
Augusta is the 10th-largest city in Maine. Size has nothing to do with how well a district runs its IEP meetings, and a small district with one experienced case manager often does better than a large one.
During an Augusta IEP meeting an advocate writes down what the team agrees to and asks for it in the document before anyone leaves the room.
Records live with Augusta Public Schools, not with the front office of one building, and a request addressed to the district gets a faster answer than one that is not.
These advocates are not based in Maine. 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 Maine 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 Cumming, GA · works with Maine schools
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.
Virtual · based in Austin, TX · works with Maine schools
Special Education Advocate
Hi, My name is David Gonzales. Living in Austin, TX, but originally from Los Angeles, CA. I carry a masters degree in special education and currently practice as a sped teacher.
6 public schools inside Augusta belong to Augusta Public Schools. Each one has its own case manager and its own backlog, and the answer you get about scheduling depends on which building your child attends.
Charter and magnet enrollment changes who owes the service. Ask which agency is responsible before the first meeting.
Confirm your child's district by address before you send a letter or name a district-specific process.
Federal law lets a state write its own evaluation deadline instead of using the national one. What Maine actually requires is 45 school days for children ages 5 to 22, and 60 calendar days for children in Child Development Services.
Bring the last two report cards and the current plan. That is usually enough paper to start.
Maine gives a school district 45 school days for children ages 5 to 22, and 60 calendar days for children in Child Development Services to finish an initial special education evaluation. A written request for an evaluation has to be answered inside 15 school days. Missed deadlines are handled by the Maine Department of Education, Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education, which takes written state complaints from parents.
Maine does not license or certify special education advocates. Anyone in Augusta can print a card with the word advocate on it.
A certificate says nothing about Augusta Public Schools. Ask instead what the advocate has filed there and what came back.
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.
No advocate is listed in every city. A remote advocate who knows Maine rules is usually a better hire for Augusta than a local one who does not.
Ask for two references from cases like yours. Somebody who cannot produce one has not worked many.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Augusta, Maine, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much does an IEP advocate cost in Augusta?
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.
Do I need a lawyer or an advocate for my child?
Two different jobs. The advocate works the IEP process and the attorney works the legal one. If a hearing is already filed, you need the attorney.
Which school district serves Augusta, Maine?
Most of the city sits inside Augusta Public Schools. The district writes the plan and holds the special education budget, which is why a complaint about a missed service names the district and not the school.
Is there low cost IEP help anywhere?
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 prepare for an IEP meeting in Augusta?
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.
Official Maine links for parents in Augusta.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same Maine rules apply in Saco, Westbrook, Biddeford, Sanford and the other cities listed here, or see every Maine advocate.
Send the same two questions to every advocate you contact in Augusta and Saco. Ask for the rate and for the first date they can meet.
Two questions sort most of this out. What would you do first with this file, and what does that cost.
