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 Reading, Pennsylvania
Advocates here work with Reading families and Reading School District teams. Each profile lists a rate when the advocate shares one.
3 based in Pennsylvania · 3 virtual advocates who work with Pennsylvania schools
What an advocate does for a Reading family
The job is plain. An advocate knows what services the school owes your child and asks for them in writing.
Reading is the 4th-largest city in Pennsylvania. Size has nothing to do with how well a district runs its IEP meetings, and a small district with one experienced case manager often does better than a large one.
What the work looks like
During a Reading 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 Reading 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 Reading as their home base. These advocates work from other parts of Pennsylvania, and each card names the city.
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
Based in Avondale, PA
Lisa Lightner
Personalized support from an Experienced Advocate
I'm Lisa Lightner, a Special Education Advocate with 16 years of experience helping families navigate IEPs, evaluations, placement disputes, and special education challenges.
- From $250 per hour
- 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 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 Fairfax, VA · works with Pennsylvania schools
Enne Barron
Special Education Advocate
As the founder of The Table Advocacy and parent, I understand how important it is to feel heard, supported, and confident when advocating for your child.
- ADHD / Attention, Autism Spectrum, Behavioral & Emotional, Behavioral Support
- From $85 per hour
- Free first call
- 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 28 virtual advocates who work with Pennsylvania families
Which district is in the room
Reading School District runs the IEP meetings for most Reading students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Charter and magnet enrollment changes who owes the service. Ask which agency is responsible before the first meeting.
- District Reading School District
- County Berks County
- Public schools inside Reading 19
- Size Reading is the 4th-largest city in Pennsylvania by the 2024 Census estimate
- Closest listed advocate Philadelphia, PA
Confirm your child's district by address. Reading addresses may fall in more than one public school district.
The deadlines that apply in Pennsylvania
Once you sign consent for testing, a Pennsylvania district has 60 calendar days to finish an initial evaluation, and that clock does not stop because a case manager is out or the file went to the wrong building.
Ask the Reading 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
Certification programs exist and some advocates hold them. None of them is issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, and none of them is required to sit in a Pennsylvania IEP meeting.
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 Reading 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. 28 of the advocates listed for Reading work with families by phone or video instead of driving to the school.
Distance is a scheduling problem and not a legal one. Meetings run by video whenever the parent and the school both agree to it.
Reading IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Reading, Pennsylvania, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What is the hourly rate for a parent advocate?
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.
Does Reading School District cover every Reading address?
Most Reading families work with Reading School District. Charter and magnet enrollment can change which agency owes the service, so ask that question before the first meeting.
How do I know where an advocate actually works from?
No advocate is listed in every town, and each card here says where that person lives. Somebody who knows the state rules and has an opening this month usually beats the nearest name on the list.
How do I get my child school records?
A district can charge for copies. Asking to inspect the record in person costs nothing under federal rules, and it is usually faster than waiting for a copy set.
What should I have ready before the first call with an advocate?
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 special education resources in Pennsylvania
Official Pennsylvania links for parents in Reading.
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, Erie, Bethlehem, Pittsburgh 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 Reading 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 Reading School District in the first message. That is enough for an advocate to know whether they can take the case.
