Based in Harrisburg, PA
Boaz Gregory
Special Education Advocate
I’m a special education teacher with experience supporting students with behavioral, intellectual, and learning needs.
- From $100 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
IEP advocates in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania uses its own forms and chapters. PTE, ER, NOREP, Chapter 14, and Chapter 15. Compare advocates who can help you understand what each document means and what action to take next.
2 based in Pennsylvania · 8 virtual advocates who work with Pennsylvania schools
Pennsylvania’s forms create the paper trail that drives the case
A verbal request should lead to a Permission to Evaluate form, written consent starts the evaluation timeline, the Evaluation Report explains eligibility and needs, and the NOREP records the district’s proposed or refused action. Missing or unclear documents can make it difficult to establish what the district decided and when.
An advocate can help the family use those forms strategically: defining the suspected areas, reviewing the evaluation, preparing the IEP, and responding to a NOREP or compliance problem before deadlines pass.
Pennsylvania special education forms and terminology
Pennsylvania’s forms and acronyms create the paper trail for evaluations, eligibility, IEP decisions, and disputes.
- PTE
- Permission to Evaluate, the form used to obtain written parental consent for an initial special education evaluation.
- ER
- Evaluation Report, the multidisciplinary report summarizing assessment data, eligibility, and educational needs.
- NOREP
- Notice of Recommended Educational Placement/Prior Written Notice, documenting a proposed or refused action and the parent’s response options.
- Chapter 14
- Pennsylvania regulations governing IDEA special education services for eligible students.
- Chapter 15 Service Agreement
- Pennsylvania’s state framework for Section 504-type protections and services for protected handicapped students.
- BSE and ODR
- The Bureau of Special Education manages state complaints; the Office for Dispute Resolution manages mediation, due process, and other dispute-resolution services.
Before and after the IEP meeting
Most of what gets paid for in Pennsylvania happens by email.
An advocate in Philadelphia and one three hours away work from the same rulebook, so send the file before you book the call.
Advocates based in Pennsylvania
These advocates list Pennsylvania as their home base. Compare rates, read their backgrounds, and message them directly.
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By video
Join on Zoom, Google Meet, or the school's platform.
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By phone
Call in when video is not an option.
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In person
Some advocates travel to the school when needed.
Based in Philadelphia, PA
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 advocates who work with Pennsylvania families
These advocates are not based in Pennsylvania. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Katy, TX · works with Pennsylvania schools
Sunnye Garza
Special Education Advocate
Besides being a parent of a neurodivergent son, I have been a special education teacher, diagnostician, and advocate for the past 30 years. I am a true hands-on, walk in your shoes type of advocate.
- From $100 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Chicago, IL · works with Pennsylvania schools
Milicia Brown
Special Education & IEP Consultant
help families understand their child’s IEP and feel prepared to participate confidently in the special education process.
- From $100 per hour
- Meets by video or phone
Virtual · based in Arlington Heights, IL · works with Pennsylvania schools
Angela Williams
Special Education Advocate
I am a former special education teacher, with experience in public and therapeutic day schools.
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Developmental Delay, Learning Disabilities
- Contact for rate
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Leonardtown, MD · works with Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Bloomington, IL · works with Pennsylvania schools
Jade Adkins
Founder & Advocate
Jade is a former special education teacher who has taught everything from pre-k all the way to transition classrooms with students up to age 21.
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Developmental Delay, Intellectual Disability
- Contact for rate
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Buford, GA · works with Pennsylvania 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 Wesley Chapel, FL · works with Pennsylvania schools
Angela Picardi
Special Education Advocate
With 24 years of experience in the K-12 sector, I serves as a Student Support Specialist specializing in academic and behavioral ESE services.
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Intellectual Disability, Learning Disabilities
- Contact for rate
- Meets in person or by video
Pennsylvania evaluations: from verbal request to PTE and Evaluation Report
When a parent makes an oral evaluation request to a professional employee or administrator, Pennsylvania generally requires the school to provide a Permission to Evaluate form within 10 calendar days. After written consent, the Evaluation Report is generally due within 60 calendar days, excluding the defined summer interval.
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Make the request in writing even though oral requests have protection
A written request creates a clearer record. Pennsylvania requires a PTE within 10 calendar days after a qualifying oral request, but a written request helps avoid disputes about what was asked and when.
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Review the PTE before signing
The proposed evaluation should cover all suspected areas and identify the types of assessment or review the team plans to use.
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Track the 60-calendar-day ER deadline
The Evaluation Report generally must be completed and provided within 60 calendar days after written consent. The period from the day after the last day of the spring term through the day before the first day of the next fall term is not counted.
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Use the ER to prepare for eligibility and the IEP
Review whether the ER identifies needs, supports its eligibility conclusion, and provides useful recommendations for present levels, goals, services, behavior supports, and placement.
Exceptions and extensions
- The calendar days from the day after the last day of the spring term through the day before the first day of the next fall term are not counted for the Chapter 14 initial evaluation timeline.
- Federal parent-availability and transfer exceptions may apply in limited circumstances.
- Charter schools are governed by Chapter 711, which contains comparable but separately codified requirements.
Filing a Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education complaint
Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Special Education investigates signed written complaints alleging violations of IDEA or applicable state special education requirements. ODR separately manages mediation and due process.
What the complaint must include
- A signed written allegation that a public agency violated a federal or state special education requirement.
- Facts supporting each allegation and child-specific information when applicable.
- A proposed resolution to the extent known and available.
- A copy provided to the school district, charter school, or other public agency at the same time the complaint is filed with BSE.
Decision timeline
BSE generally completes the investigation and issues the Complaint Investigation Report within 60 calendar days.
The timeline may be extended for exceptional circumstances or when the parties agree to extend it to participate in mediation or another dispute-resolution process.
No license, no required certification
Training varies, and so does what it proves. A parent who asks how many Pennsylvania IEP meetings an advocate sat in last year learns more than a certificate would show.
Check the references and not the letters after the name. Two calls to past clients settle it faster than any credential list.
Where advocacy stops
Advocates do not decide complaints. The Pennsylvania Department of Education does, and only after somebody files one in writing.
A district is allowed to say no. What it cannot do is say no without written notice that explains the reason.
Other dispute-resolution options
A state complaint is one path. Mediation, facilitation, due process, OCR, and local escalation each solve a different problem.
- ConsultLine
- Parents who need state-level information about Pennsylvania special education rights and procedures ConsultLine provides information and can help parents understand available options, but it is not the parent’s private advocate.
- ODR mediation
- Parties willing to negotiate a voluntary agreement The Office for Dispute Resolution provides mediation at no cost to the parties.
- ODR due process
- Formal disputes concerning identification, evaluation, placement, or FAPE Due process is separate from the BSE complaint system and may require legal or expert representation.
- IEP facilitation or resolution meeting support
- Teams seeking structured early resolution Availability and format may vary; the neutral process professional does not decide the student’s program.
- Chapter 15 or OCR process
- Section 504-type or disability-discrimination concerns Chapter 15 Service Agreement disputes and federal civil-rights complaints follow procedures distinct from a Chapter 14 IDEA complaint.
Who serves Pennsylvania today
2 advocates on this page are based in Pennsylvania. The others work with families here by video.
Somebody who takes Philadelphia cases usually takes cases in the towns around it, so say where you are in the first email.
Remote IEP advocacy is allowed under IDEA
IDEA requires parent participation in IEP meetings and allows a meeting to run by video or phone when you and the school agree.
Some districts still prefer everybody in the room. Confirm the format in writing so nobody arrives to an empty table.
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
Compare advocates across Pennsylvania, including virtual options. Filter by rate, reviews and focus area.
Contact
Contact the advocate directly. Nothing on this site routes your message through us.
Hire
Agree the scope and the rate in writing before any work starts.
Work together
Work through the records, the letter and the meeting in that order.
Find Parent Advocates is not a party to your contractual relationship with the advocate. We are not responsible for the fees or services provided.
Pennsylvania IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Pennsylvania, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How quickly must Pennsylvania provide a PTE after a verbal request?
Pennsylvania generally requires the school to provide a Permission to Evaluate form within 10 calendar days after a qualifying oral request to a professional employee or administrator.
Does summer count in Pennsylvania’s 60-day evaluation timeline?
For Chapter 14 evaluations, the period from the day after the last day of the spring term through the day before the first day of the next fall term is not counted.
What is the difference between Chapter 14 and Chapter 15?
Chapter 14 governs IDEA special education for eligible students. Chapter 15 provides Pennsylvania protections and Service Agreements for protected handicapped students under a Section 504-type framework.
Can I appeal a Pennsylvania BSE complaint report?
The current school-age Part B complaint materials do not publish a general BSE reconsideration or administrative appeal process. Mediation and due process through ODR are separate options.
What do special education advocates charge in Pennsylvania?
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 is the evaluation deadline in Pennsylvania?
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.
Official special education resources in Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania rules on this page
- 22 Pa. Code 14.123, Evaluation (22 Pa. Code 14.123(b))
- PDE state complaints and dispute resolution
- 22 Pa. Code §14.123 Evaluation
- 22 Pa. Code §14.107 Complaint procedure
- Pennsylvania Chapter 15 implementation
- Pennsylvania ConsultLine
Last reviewed 2026-08-02.
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