Special education and Section 504 advocates for Prince George's County Public Schools families in College Park.
1 based in Maryland · 3 virtual advocates who work with Maryland schools
Hiring one is optional. Nothing in federal law requires a parent to bring an advocate to an IEP meeting.
Families in College Park and Annapolis run into the same problem. The school says the current plan is working, and the progress report shows the same goal repeated from last year with the same numbers under it.
The meeting itself is the smallest part of the job. Nearly all the hours go into records and email before the College Park team ever sits down.
Note what changed at home. Teachers see one room for one hour and parents see the rest of the day.
No advocate in this directory lists College Park as their home base. These advocates work from other parts of Maryland, and each card names the city.
Based in Leonardtown, MD
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…
These advocates are not based in Maryland. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in San Diego, CA · works with Maryland 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 Springfield, MA · works with Maryland schools
N/A
My parent advocacy experience in special education began with students diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, assisting parents with IEP language, asking the appropriate questions to get the answers they…
Virtual · based in Los Angeles, CA · works with Maryland schools
Strategic Special Education Advocate
I combine the precision of a Columbia Law attorney with over a decade of special education leadership to help Los Angeles families navigate the IEP process with clarity, confidence, and results.
See all 30 virtual advocates who work with Maryland families
Prince George's County Public Schools runs the IEP meetings for most College Park students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Parents in Annapolis face the same paperwork. Rules do not change from one town to the next inside a state.
Confirm your child's district by address before you send a letter or name a district-specific process.
No Maryland deadline applies to a written evaluation request. Federal rules still require a response within a reasonable time.
Write down what you want the school to add, in one page, before you walk into the College Park meeting, because a team that reads your list in advance cannot pretend it never came up.
Maryland gives a school district 60 days after parental consent and 90 days after the written referral to finish an initial special education evaluation. No Maryland 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 Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Special Education, which takes written state complaints from parents.
The Maryland State Department of Education oversees special education in Maryland. It does not license the advocates parents hire.
Ask what training the advocate actually finished and who ran it. A one-day webinar and a two-year program both end in a certificate.
Advocates do not decide complaints. The Maryland State Department of Education does, and only after someone files one in writing.
Prince George's County Public Schools is allowed to say no. What it is not allowed to do is say no without written notice that explains the reason.
Being listed for Maryland is not the same as taking College Park cases, so read the service area on each of the 1 in-state profiles before you write to anyone.
Advocates who take Annapolis cases usually take these too. Say where you are in the first email so nobody wastes a week finding out.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in College Park, Maryland, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What do special education advocates charge in College Park, Maryland?
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.
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 difference between an IEP advocate and a special education attorney?
No. Advocates prepare for meetings, read the records and negotiate with the district. Attorneys file due process complaints and appear at hearings, which an advocate cannot do.
Who runs special education for College Park schools?
Most College Park families work with Prince George's County Public Schools. Charter and magnet enrollment can change which agency owes the service, so ask that question before the first meeting.
What documents does an advocate need from me?
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 Maryland links for parents in College Park.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same Maryland rules apply in Annapolis, Salisbury, Abingdon, Hagerstown and the other cities listed here, or see every Maryland advocate.
You are not limited to advocates inside College Park. The closest listed office is in Leonardtown, and distance matters less than whether that person has worked a case in your district.
Have the most recent Prince George's County Public Schools progress report open on the first call. It shows whether the goals moved at all.
