Virtual · based in Houston, TX · works with New Mexico schools
Samantha Wolff
Special Education Advocate
Samantha Wolff is a special education advocate serving families in Houston, TX.
- From $50 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
IEP advocates in New Mexico
Special education and Section 504 advocates who work with New Mexico families. Compare profiles and contact them directly.
8 virtual advocates who work with New Mexico schools
What an advocate does for New Mexico families
Most parents hire one after a meeting has already gone badly.
Families across New Mexico 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.
What the work looks like
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.
Virtual advocates who work with New Mexico families
These advocates are not based in New Mexico. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in New York, NY · works with New Mexico schools
Clara Liriano
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…
- ADHD / Attention, AAC, Autism Spectrum, Behavioral & Emotional
- From $150 per hour
- Free first call
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Philadelphia, PA · works with New Mexico schools
Karen McCree
Educational Consultant
I began this journey because my own daughter was issued an IEP in 3rd grade. I didn't understand special education.
- ADHD / Attention, Autism Spectrum, Behavioral & Emotional, Behavioral Support
- From $100 per hour
- Free first call
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Leonardtown, MD · works with New Mexico schools
Douglas Hubscher
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…
- Anxiety, ADHD / Attention, Autism Spectrum, Behavioral & Emotional
- From $1 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Hawthorne, NJ · works with New Mexico schools
Dalia Rodriguez
IEP Consultant, School Social Worker, Advocacy
I am a Child Study Team School Social Worker, with a Master of Social Work from Fordham University. I have core competencies in special education law, mental health, and behavioral health.
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Developmental Delay, Intellectual Disability
- Contact for rate
- Meets by video or phone
Virtual · based in Cumming, GA · works with New Mexico schools
Russell Lloyd
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.
- Anxiety, ADHD / Attention, Autism Spectrum, Behavioral & Emotional
- From $95 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Buford, GA · works with New Mexico schools
Dr. Mary Jo Ray-Jewett
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.
- From $100 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in San Antonio, TX · works with New Mexico schools
Nicole Santiago
Special Education Advocate | National COPAA Instructor
As an experienced Special Education Advocate, Executive Function Specialist, and expert IEP Coach, I offer families pathways to ensure they are informed, prepared, and confident as they navigate…
- Autism Spectrum, Behavioral Support, Learning Disabilities, IDEA
- From $150 per hour
- Free first call
- Meets by video or phone
The agency behind every IEP in the state
A written state complaint goes to the New Mexico Public Education Department, Office of Special Education and not to the school your child attends.
Advocate pages exist here for 10 cities, and the evaluation clock described on each one is identical.
- State education agency New Mexico Public Education Department, Office of Special Education
- Initial evaluation deadline 60 calendar days
- Deadline to answer a written request 15 school days
- Cities with an advocate page here 10
The deadlines that apply in New Mexico
The clock parents care about starts at consent. In New Mexico it runs 60 calendar days.
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.
Filing a state complaint in New Mexico
New Mexico gives you three routes. Upload the complaint through the Online Dispute Resolution System, email it to dispute.resolution@ped.nm.gov, or mail it to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator, New Mexico Public Education Department, 300 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe, NM 87501.
What the complaint must include
- Your signature. Electronic and digital signatures count.
- A copy to your district or charter school when you file. PED will not open the case until you have.
- The State Complaint Form is optional, in English and Spanish.
- PED posts its Complaint Resolution Reports online by case number and district name.
Decision timeline
Sixty calendar days, counted from the day the complaint has reached both the department and your district. File with the state Monday and send the district its copy Thursday, and the clock starts Thursday. A complaint filed electronically on a weekend or state holiday is dated the next business day.
Who licenses advocates in New Mexico
Certification programs exist and some advocates hold them. None of them is issued by the New Mexico Public Education Department, Office of Special Education, and none of them is required to sit in an IEP meeting.
A certificate says nothing about Albuquerque. Ask what the advocate has filed with a district here and what came back.
What an advocate cannot do
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.
Districts in Albuquerque and Las Cruces 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.
Local advocates and video advocates
Video is normal now. 28 of the advocates listed for New Mexico work with families by phone or video instead of driving to the school.
Read a profile for what the advocate actually did and not for what the profile claims. Case detail is the tell.
Remote IEP advocacy is allowed under IDEA
Remote work is normal in special education now. Documents move by email and the meeting runs on a call.
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
How Find Parent Advocates 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
Read the profiles on this page. Rates, service area and case history are the three worth comparing.
Contact
Send the same two questions to everybody, which are the rate and the first date they can meet.
Hire
You hire the advocate directly. The agreement is between the two of you.
Work together
Send the file, take the prep call and go into the meeting with a written list.
Find Parent Advocates is not a party to your contractual relationship with the advocate. We are not responsible for the fees or services provided.
New Mexico IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in New Mexico, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What is the hourly rate for a parent advocate?
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.
When should I hire a special education advocate in New Mexico?
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.
Can I hire a virtual advocate if we live in New Mexico?
Video is normal now. A remote advocate reads the file, drafts your concerns and joins the meeting by phone. What a remote advocate cannot do is walk the building or read the room.
Can an advocate help with a 504 plan and not an IEP?
Yes. Section 504 work looks the same as IEP work, which is records, a written request and somebody in the room who knows what the school already agreed to.
What can I do if I cannot afford an advocate?
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.
Who investigates a school for missing an IEP deadline?
Written complaints go to the New Mexico Public Education Department. It decides on the paperwork rather than at a hearing, so dates and documents are what the decision turns on.
Official special education resources in New Mexico
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.
Sources for the New Mexico rules on this page
- 6.31.2 NMAC, Children with Disabilities/Gifted Children (6.31.2.10(F)(2) NMAC)
- 34 CFR 300.301, Initial evaluations (34 CFR 300.301(c))
- NMPED Office of Special Education
- NMPED state complaint
- NMPED State Administrative Complaints Manual (NMPED State Administrative Complaints Manual, December 2025)
- NMPED State Complaint Form
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
