Special education and Section 504 advocates for Prince George's County Public Schools families in Lanham.
1 based in Maryland · 3 virtual advocates who work with Maryland schools
Advocates get hired after a meeting goes badly, rarely before the first one, which is why most of them start by reading a file that already carries a year of history in it.
Most of the work happens before anyone sits down in a Lanham conference room.
The meeting itself is the smallest part of the job. Nearly all the hours go into records and email before the Lanham team ever sits down.
Request the full file in writing before you hire anyone. Schools have to give parents the education records they keep.
No advocate in this directory lists Lanham 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 Inverness, IL · works with Maryland schools
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…
Virtual · based in Wesley Chapel, FL · works with Maryland schools
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.
Virtual · based in Cumming, GA · works with Maryland 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.
See all 25 virtual advocates who work with Maryland families
Prince George's County Public Schools runs the IEP meetings for most Lanham students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Parents in Glenn Dale 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.
Federal law lets a state write its own evaluation deadline instead of using the national one. What Maryland actually requires is 60 days after parental consent and 90 days after the written referral.
Write down what you want the school to add, in one page, before you walk into the Lanham 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.
No state license exists for special education advocacy. No federal agency issues one either, and no exam stands between a person and the title.
Membership in a professional body is not a licence. It usually means dues were paid and a code of conduct was signed.
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 Lanham cases, so read the service area on each of the 1 in-state profiles before you write to anyone.
Ask whether the advocate has sat in a Prince George's County Public Schools meeting before. The answer is a yes or a no and it tells you a great deal.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Lanham, Maryland, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What do special education advocates charge in Lanham, 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.
Can we work with an advocate who lives outside Maryland?
Yes. IDEA, the federal special education law, requires parent participation in IEP meetings and allows alternative means such as video or phone when you and the school agree. Your advocate does not have to live nearby.
Who runs special education for Lanham schools?
Most of the city sits inside Prince George's County 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.
Can I bring an advocate to a Section 504 meeting?
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.
What should a records request say?
A district can charge for copies. Asking to inspect the record in person costs nothing under federal rules, and it is usually faster than waiting for a copy set.
Official Maryland links for parents in Lanham.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same Maryland rules apply in Glenn Dale, Largo, Fort Washington, Mitchellville and the other cities listed here, or see every Maryland advocate.
Send the same two questions to every advocate you contact in Lanham and Glenn Dale. Ask for the rate and for the first date they can meet.
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.
