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 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Special education and Section 504 advocates for Pittsburgh School District families in Pittsburgh.
3 based in Pennsylvania · 3 virtual advocates who work with Pennsylvania schools
What an advocate does for a Pittsburgh family
The job is plain. An advocate knows what services the school owes your child and asks for them in writing.
Most of the work happens before anyone sits down in a Pittsburgh conference room.
What the work looks like
During a Pittsburgh IEP meeting an advocate writes down what the team agrees to and asks for it in the document before anyone leaves the room.
Records live with Pittsburgh School District, not with the front office of one building, and a request addressed to the district gets a faster answer than one that is not.
Advocates based in Pennsylvania
No advocate in this directory lists Pittsburgh as their home base. These advocates work from other parts of Pennsylvania, and each card names the city.
Based in Coraopolis, PA
Brittany Maurizi
Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Special Education Advocate
Hi there! I'm Brittany, owner and founder of Balanced Behaviors, LLC. I'm a Behavior Analyst and Licensed Behavior Specialist in Pennsylvania with a Master’s in Special Education from Slippery Rock…
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Developmental Delay, Intellectual Disability
- From $75 per hour
- Free first call
- Meets in person or by video
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 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 San Diego, CA · works with Pennsylvania schools
Sanford Autism Advocacy Group
Special Education Advocate
At the Sanford Autism Advocacy Group (SAAG), we are a small but mighty special education consulting group with an emphasis on Autism and IEPs.
- Autism, Other Health Impairment, Speech/Language, IDEA
- From $200 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
See all 23 virtual advocates who work with Pennsylvania families
Which district is in the room
Pittsburgh School District runs the IEP meetings for most Pittsburgh students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
District lines and city lines are not the same thing. A street can sit inside one city and be zoned to the district next door.
- District Pittsburgh School District
- County Allegheny County
- Public schools inside Pittsburgh 53
- Size Pittsburgh is the 2nd-largest city in Pennsylvania by the 2024 Census estimate
- Closest listed advocate Philadelphia, PA
Confirm your child's district by address. Pittsburgh addresses may fall in more than one public school district.
The deadlines that apply in Pennsylvania
The clock that matters starts when you sign consent. In Pennsylvania it runs 60 calendar days.
Ask the Pittsburgh team for the evaluation report before the meeting, not at it, because nobody reads a long report accurately while the rest of the team waits.
Pennsylvania gives a school district 60 calendar days to finish an initial special education evaluation. No Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, which takes written state complaints from parents.
Who licenses advocates in Pennsylvania
Attorneys are licensed. Advocates hold no license, and the difference matters most when a case gets close to a hearing, which is the point where the Pittsburgh district starts talking to its own lawyer.
Advocates who work Allentown and here see the same state rules twice a week. Repetition inside one state is the practice worth paying for.
What an advocate cannot do
Advocates are not attorneys. No advocate in Pittsburgh can file a lawsuit for you or give you legal advice about the case.
What worked for a family in Allentown may not fit yours. Ask the advocate what is different about your file before you copy anyone.
Local advocates and video advocates
Video is normal now. 23 of the advocates listed for Pittsburgh work with families by phone or video instead of driving to the school.
Ask for two references from cases like yours. Somebody who cannot produce one has not worked many.
Pittsburgh IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What is the hourly rate for a parent advocate?
Rates run $75 to $250 per hour. What moves the number is experience, the type of case, and whether anyone has to drive to the meeting. Profiles here show the rate when the advocate publishes one.
When should I hire a special education advocate in Pittsburgh?
Bring somebody in when the file stops making sense to you. A routine review with services in place and progress data that moves usually does not need one.
Does Pittsburgh School District cover every Pittsburgh address?
Most Pittsburgh families work with Pittsburgh School District. Charter and magnet enrollment can change which agency owes the service, so ask that question before the first meeting.
Which plan covers therapy and specialized instruction?
An IEP is the stronger document because it carries goals, service minutes and progress reporting. Section 504 plans are faster to write and easier for a district to agree to.
Who investigates a school for missing an IEP deadline?
Written complaints go to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. 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 Pennsylvania
Official Pennsylvania links for parents in Pittsburgh.
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
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
Nearby cities in Pennsylvania
The same Pennsylvania rules apply in Allentown, Philadelphia, Reading, Erie and the other cities listed here, or see every Pennsylvania advocate.
What to do next
Start with two calls, not six. Ask each advocate what they would do first with a Pittsburgh file, and hire the one whose answer is specific enough that you could write it down as a task.
Say the name of your school and Pittsburgh School District in the first message. That is enough for an advocate to know whether they can take the case.
