Montana advocates who help with evaluations, IEP goals, Section 504 plans, and school meetings. Rates are listed on each profile.
8 virtual advocates who work with Montana schools
An IEP advocate sits with you at the table and asks the school for services your child is not getting.
Families across Montana call for the same two reasons. A school has said no to testing, or a service that used to be in the plan is gone.
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.
Write down what changed at home. Teachers see one room for one hour and parents see the rest of the day.
These advocates are not based in Montana. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Kansas City, MO · works with Montana 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 Atlanta, GA · works with Montana schools
Special Education Advocate
My name is Jalani Traxler and I have loved teaching sense I myself was a student with an IEP receiving my own accommodations in elementary school.
Virtual · based in Buford, GA · works with Montana schools
Georgia Special Education & IEP Advocate
Dr. Mary Jo Ray-Jewett is the owner and lead advocate of The IEP Guru, LLC, providing special education advocacy throughout Georgia.
Virtual · based in Wesley Chapel, FL · works with Montana 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 Newcastle, OK · works with Montana schools
Special Education Advocate - IEP Consultant
Former special education teacher and educational advocate with experience on both sides of the IEP table.
Virtual · based in Portland, OR · works with Montana schools
Experienced Special Education Advocate & Former District Administrator
Chelsea Venegas, M.Ed., is the Founder & Special Education Advocate at Access & Bloom. A former special education teacher, school administrator, and district leader, she supports families with IEPs,…
Virtual · based in Atlanta, GA · works with Montana schools
School Psychologist & Parent Advocate
I’m a certified School Psychologist, Parent Advocate, and Coach dedicated to helping families navigate special education with confidence.
Virtual · based in Harrisburg, PA · works with Montana schools
Special Education Advocate
I’m a special education teacher with experience supporting students with behavioral, intellectual, and learning needs.
A written state complaint goes to the Montana Office of Public Instruction, Special Education and not to the school your child attends.
Autism accounts for 1,239 students counted under IDEA here.
States are allowed to write their own evaluation deadline instead of using the federal one. What Montana requires is 60 calendar days.
Advocates who take Billings cases and advocates who take Missoula cases work from the same statute, so ask about district experience rather than distance.
Montana takes state complaints on paper only. Fax and email filings are not accepted, so mail the signed original to Dispute Resolution, Office of Public Instruction, P.O. Box 202501, Helena, MT 59620-2501. Call 406-444-2046 for help with the form. The final report cannot be appealed.
Decision timeline
OPI has 60 calendar days to issue its final report, counted from the day the Dispute Resolution Office receives a complaint that has every required piece in it. Up to the first 15 business days of that go to informal resolution through the Early Assistance Program, and either side can decline.
Montana does not license or certify special education advocates. Anyone here can print a card with the word advocate on it.
Advocates who work Billings and Missoula cases see the same state rules twice a week, and repetition inside one state is the practice worth paying for.
An advocate cannot make a district agree. What moves a district is the record you build, and a good advocate spends more hours on the record than in the room.
What worked for a family in Billings may not fit yours, and the first thing worth asking an advocate is what is different about your file.
Rates and openings decide most of this. Anyone who cannot meet before your meeting date is the wrong hire, and the second-best advocate who is free this month beats the best one who is not.
Ask for two references from cases like yours. Somebody who cannot produce one has not worked many.
Federal rules put no distance requirement on who a parent may bring. Your advocate does not have to live in Montana.
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
Browse by city or take the statewide list. The rules are the same either way.
Contact
Write to two people rather than six. The first email should carry the district and the meeting date.
Hire
Approve the hours in advance. Most advocates will not bill past an agreed number without asking.
Work together
Keep the timeline updated as things happen. It is the document every later step is built from.
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 Montana, 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.
Can I hire a virtual advocate if we live in Montana?
Yes, with one condition. The school has to agree to the meeting format, so put the request in writing before the date is set.
How do I know where an advocate actually works from?
No advocate is listed in every town, and each card here says where that person lives. Somebody who knows the state rules and has an opening this month usually beats the nearest name on the list.
Can an advocate help with a 504 plan and not an IEP?
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.
What can I do if I cannot afford an advocate?
No public program assigns you a private advocate. The links under official resources on this page go to the state agency and to the complaint process, and both cost nothing to use.
Which plan covers therapy and specialized instruction?
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.
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.
