New York City Public Schools staff run the IEP meetings in New York City. These advocates sit on your side of the table.
1 based in New York · 3 virtual advocates who work with New York schools
Hiring one is optional. Nothing in federal law requires a parent to bring an advocate to an IEP meeting.
New York City parents tend to call at one of two moments. The first is before an initial evaluation and the second is after a service quietly disappears from the plan.
Paperwork is where cases are won or lost, and an advocate who has read every progress report in the file will find the sentence a New York City team wrote two years ago that contradicts what it is saying now.
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 New York City 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 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 Cumming, GA · works with New York schools
Founder
Russell Lloyd is a special education advocate serving families in Cumming, GA.
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.
See all 19 virtual advocates who work with New York families
New York City Public Schools runs the IEP meetings for most New York City students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Parents in Brooklyn 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.
The clock that matters starts when you sign consent. In New York it runs 60 calendar days.
If the New York City team says no, ask for the refusal in writing.
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.
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.
No advocate can promise a placement or an outcome in New York City. Anyone who does is selling you something.
Advocates who have never seen the file cannot tell you what is missing from it. Send the records first and book the call second.
Being listed for New York is not the same as taking New York City cases, so read the service area on each of the 1 in-state profiles before you write to anyone.
Advocates who take Brooklyn 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 New York City, New York, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What do special education advocates charge in New York City, New York?
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.
Do I need an advocate for a routine annual review?
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.
Who runs special education for New York City schools?
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.
Are there free IEP advocates in New York City?
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.
What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan?
The short version. IEP means the school changes what is taught and how, and Section 504 means the school changes the conditions around it.
Official New York links for parents in New York City.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same New York rules apply in Brooklyn, New York, Queens, Manhattan and the other cities listed here, or see every New York advocate.
If nobody here fits, check the Brooklyn page next. The same New York rules apply there.
Have the most recent New York City Public Schools progress report open on the first call. It shows whether the goals moved at all.
