Advocates here work with Brooklyn families and New York City Public Schools teams. Each profile lists a rate when the advocate shares one.
1 based in New York · 3 virtual advocates who work with New York schools
Advocates work for you, not for the school. That is the whole difference.
Parents in Brooklyn usually start looking for an advocate when a meeting is already on the calendar.
After the meeting the work is dull. The advocate reads the draft against the notes and sends a correction back the same week.
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 Brooklyn as their home base. These advocates work from other parts of New York, and each card names the city.
Based in New York, NY
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…
These advocates are not based in New York. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in San Antonio, TX · works with New York 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 Hialeah, FL · works with New York schools
Advocate
Hi! 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 Newcastle, OK · works with New York schools
Special Education Advocate - IEP Consultant
Former special education teacher and educational advocate with experience on both sides of the IEP table.
See all 19 virtual advocates who work with New York families
New York City Public Schools runs the IEP meetings for most Brooklyn students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Families who move between New York City and here change districts, and the new team is not required to keep the old plan word for word.
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 New York actually requires is 60 calendar days.
Write down what you want the school to add, in one page, before you walk into the Brooklyn meeting, because a team that reads your list in advance cannot pretend it never came up.
New York gives a school district 60 calendar days to finish an initial special education evaluation. Missed deadlines are handled by the New York State Education Department, Office of Special Education, which takes written state complaints from parents.
The New York State Education Department oversees special education in New York. It does not license the advocates parents hire.
Check the references and not the letters after the name. Two calls to past clients settle it faster than any credential list.
No advocate can promise a placement or an outcome in Brooklyn. Anyone who does is selling you something.
You sign, not the advocate. Consent and the plan itself both need a parent signature.
No advocate is listed in every city. A remote advocate who knows New York rules is usually a better hire for Brooklyn than a local one who does not.
Advocates who take New York City 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 Brooklyn, New York, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much should I budget for one IEP meeting?
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.
What district will be at my IEP meeting in Brooklyn?
Most of the city sits inside New York City 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.
What is the fastest way to see the school file?
Ask for the full file, which means every evaluation, the progress data behind each goal and any email where the school said no. Put it in writing and keep the date.
Is a 504 plan weaker than an IEP?
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.
What should I bring to the IEP meeting?
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.
Official New York links for parents in Brooklyn.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same New York rules apply in New York City, Queens, Manhattan, New York and the other cities listed here, or see every New York advocate.
You are not limited to advocates inside Brooklyn. The closest listed office is in New York, and distance matters less than whether that person has worked a case in your district.
Keep a one-page timeline of what happened and when. Every advocate you talk to will start by building the same thing.
