Advocates here work with Yonkers families and Yonkers City School District 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
Hiring one is optional. Nothing in federal law requires a parent to bring an advocate to an IEP meeting.
Families in Yonkers and Buffalo run into the same problem. The school says the current plan is working, and the progress report shows the same goal repeated from last year with the same numbers under it.
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 Yonkers team wrote two years ago that contradicts what it is saying now.
Note what changed at home. Teachers see one room for one hour and parents see the rest of the day.
No advocate in this directory lists Yonkers 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 Austin, TX · works with New York 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 Leesburg, FL · works with New York schools
CEO IEP Advocate Espanol
Evelyn Roman-Santos is a bilingual Special Education Advocate with 30 years of experience as a School Social Worker.
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 24 virtual advocates who work with New York families
Yonkers City School District runs the IEP meetings for most Yonkers students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
A Buffalo parent group can tell you how the same district handled a case like yours, which is worth more to read than a policy page.
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 Yonkers 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. No New York rule sets a separate deadline for answering a written request, so the federal reasonable-time standard is what applies. Missed deadlines are handled by the New York State Education Department, Office of Special Education, which takes written state complaints from parents.
Training varies, and so does what it proves. A parent who asks how many Yonkers IEP meetings an advocate sat in last year learns more than a certificate would show.
Ask what training the advocate actually finished and who ran it. A one-day webinar and a two-year program both end in a certificate.
No advocate can promise a placement or an outcome in Yonkers. Anyone who does is selling you something.
You sign, not the advocate. Consent and the plan itself both need a parent signature.
Being listed for New York is not the same as taking Yonkers cases, so read the service area on each of the 1 in-state profiles before you write to anyone.
Experience with Yonkers City School District matters more than the number of years printed on a profile page.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Yonkers, New York, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What do special education advocates charge in Yonkers, New York?
Flat fees are common for a single meeting and hourly billing is common for everything else. Many advocates give a free first call. Nobody bills you through this site, so ask each person how they invoice.
Who runs special education for Yonkers schools?
Yonkers City School District runs the IEP meetings for most Yonkers students. District lines and city lines are not the same, so confirm yours by address before you send a letter.
What is the evaluation deadline in New York?
The rule here is 60 calendar days. It covers the evaluation only. Writing the plan after a child is found eligible is a separate step with its own timing.
Do I have to use an advocate from my own town?
Every card on this page names the city the advocate works from. Advocates listed under the virtual heading live somewhere else and work with families here by video or phone.
Can I bring an advocate to a Section 504 meeting?
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.
Official New York links for parents in Yonkers.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same New York rules apply in Buffalo, Rochester, Staten Island, Syracuse and the other cities listed here, or see every New York advocate.
You are not limited to advocates inside Yonkers. 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.
