Advocates who go to IEP meetings with Nebraska parents. Search is free and you contact them yourself.
8 virtual advocates who work with Nebraska schools
An IEP advocate sits with you at the table and asks the school for services your child is not getting.
Families across Nebraska 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 Nebraska. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Inverness, IL · works with Nebraska 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 Hialeah, FL · works with Nebraska schools
Advocate
Hello! I look forward to helping families and their students get the crucial support they need. I have varied experience working with families and educators at the state and local levels.
Virtual · based in Cumming, GA · works with Nebraska 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 San Antonio, TX · works with Nebraska schools
FamilyADDventures.com
Nicole Santiago is a learning specialist and an advocate (IEP coach). She is a member of COPAA.org and ensures special education students receive the most appropriate educational services possible.
Virtual · based in Kansas City, MO · works with Nebraska 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 New York, NY · works with Nebraska schools
Special Education Advocate
Clara Liriano, M.S., is a Special Education Advocate and New York State Certified Special Education Teacher with more than 20 years of experience supporting children and individuals with…
Virtual · based in Austin, TX · works with Nebraska 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.
Virtual · based in Arlington Heights, IL · works with Nebraska schools
Special Education Advocate
I am a former special education teacher, with experience in public and therapeutic day schools.
A written state complaint goes to the Nebraska Department of Education, Office of Special Education and not to the school your child attends.
Public schools in this state served 51,314 students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 2023-24.
The deadline for finishing an initial evaluation in Nebraska is 45 school days. Put that date on the calendar the day the paperwork goes in.
Ask for the evaluation report before the meeting rather than at it, because nobody reads a long report accurately while the rest of the team waits.
Nebraska sends the complaint to one person. Email it, signed and attached, to amy.rhone@nebraska.gov, or mail it to Amy Rhone, Complaint Investigator, Nebraska Department of Education, Office of Special Education, 500 S. 84th St., 2nd Floor, Lincoln, NE 68510-2611. Rhone is also NDE's state director of special education.
Decision timeline
NDE has 60 calendar days from receipt of a signed written complaint. Within the first 14 calendar days an Office of Special Education official has to write to you and to the district setting out the substance of the alleged violation, and the district then gets 14 calendar days to respond.
Certification programs exist and some advocates hold them. None of them is issued by the Nebraska Department of Education, Office of Special Education, and none of them is required to sit in an IEP meeting.
A certificate says nothing about Omaha. Ask what the advocate has filed with a district here and what came back.
Hiring somebody does not pause a deadline or undo a meeting that already happened. The work starts from wherever the file sits today.
Districts in Omaha and Lincoln answer to the parent on the paperwork, so an advocate can draft the letter and you still have to be the one who sends it.
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.
Video costs less when travel would otherwise be billed. It also removes the excuse that nobody could get to the building.
Ask how the meeting will run before you hire. A school that has never held a video IEP will need lead time.
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
Send the same two questions to everybody, which are the rate and the first date they can meet.
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 Nebraska, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much does an IEP advocate cost in Nebraska?
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.
At what point do parents usually call an advocate?
Most parents call after a school says no to testing, after goals repeat unchanged for a year, or a week before an annual review. Earlier is cheaper. An advocate hired the night before a meeting can only read so much.
Do I need a lawyer or an advocate for my child?
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.
Can an advocate join an IEP meeting by video?
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.
Is there low cost IEP help anywhere?
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.
How do I prepare for an IEP meeting in Nebraska?
Start with a one-page timeline of what happened and when. Every advocate you talk to will build the same thing, so writing it yourself saves an hour of billed time.
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.
