Virtual · based in Midland, TX · works with South Dakota schools
Kate Keenan
Special Education Advocate
Kate Keenan is a special education advocate serving families in Midland, TX.
- From $75 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
IEP advocates in South Dakota
Special education and Section 504 advocates who work with South Dakota families. Compare profiles and contact them directly.
8 virtual advocates who work with South Dakota schools
What an advocate does for South Dakota families
Nobody is required to bring one. Federal law lets a parent walk into an IEP meeting alone.
Sioux Falls and Rapid City sit in different districts under one state rulebook.
What the work looks like
Paperwork decides most cases. The advocate who has read every progress report in the file will find the line the district wrote two years ago that contradicts what it is saying now.
Write down what changed at home. Teachers see one room for one hour and parents see the rest of the day.
Virtual advocates who work with South Dakota families
These advocates are not based in South Dakota. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Atlanta, GA · works with South Dakota schools
Ms. Dixon, Psy.S.
School Psychologist & Parent Advocate
I’m a certified School Psychologist, Parent Advocate, and Coach dedicated to helping families navigate special education with confidence.
- Anxiety, ADHD / Attention, Autism Spectrum, Behavioral & Emotional
- From $100 per hour
- Meets by video or phone
Virtual · based in Inverness, IL · works with South Dakota schools
Arielle Allen
Special Education Advocate
I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders at Michigan State University and a Master’s of Education from DePaul University, with a dual certification in elementary and…
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Deaf-Blindness, Developmental Delay
- Contact for rate
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Las Vegas, NV · works with South Dakota schools
Chelsea Horlacher
IEP Consultant
Hey there! I’ve been a special education teacher for nearly a decade, so helping unique learners thrive is truly my life’s work.
- Autism Spectrum, IEP Meetings
- From $50 per hour
- Free first call
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Hialeah, FL · works with South Dakota schools
Julian Moreira
Advocate
Hello! 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.
- Autism Spectrum, Behavioral Support, Intellectual & Cognitive, Learning Disabilities
- From $100 per hour
- Free first call
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in San Antonio, TX · works with South Dakota schools
Nicole Santiago
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.
- Autism Spectrum, Behavioral Support, Learning Disabilities, IDEA
- Contact for rate
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Coraopolis, PA · works with South Dakota schools
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
Virtual · based in Lamar, CO · works with South Dakota schools
Jordan Kemp
Special Education Advocate
I’ve been a science teacher, a Director of Financial Aid, and a Dean of Students at a rural community college — always at the table with students and families navigating systems not built for them.
- From $95 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
The agency behind every IEP in the state
A written state complaint goes to the South Dakota Department of Education, Special Education Programs and not to the school your child attends.
Public schools in this state served 21,983 students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 2023-24.
- State education agency South Dakota Department of Education, Special Education Programs
- Students served under IDEA 21,983 in 2023-24 · IDEA Part B child count
- Initial evaluation deadline 25 school days
- Cities with an advocate page here 10
The deadlines that apply in South Dakota
Once you sign consent for testing, a district in South Dakota has 25 school days to finish an initial evaluation, and that clock keeps running while a case manager is out.
Ask for the evaluation report before the meeting rather than at it, because nobody reads a long report accurately while the rest of the team waits.
Filing a state complaint in South Dakota
South Dakota takes a written, signed complaint three ways. Email it to Wendy.Trujillo@state.sd.us, fax 605-773-6139, or mail it to Special Education Programs, Dispute Resolution Coordinator, 800 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501. The rule puts the filing with the state director of special education, who personally decides the case.
What the complaint must include
- Your signature. The rule requires a written, signed statement.
- A copy to your resident district's school administration at the same time you file. The sample form has a line for you to initial confirming you sent it.
- The sample Request for State Complaint is a model. You do not have to use it.
Decision timeline
South Dakota resolves the complaint within 60 days, counted from the day the state director of special education receives it. That deadline moves only for exceptional circumstances the director decides on, such as needing more time to gather information, and even then a single extension cannot run past 30 days.
Who licenses advocates in South Dakota
Certification programs exist and some advocates hold them. None of them is issued by the South Dakota Department of Education, Special Education Programs, and none of them is required to sit in an IEP meeting.
Advocates who work Sioux Falls and Rapid City cases see the same state rules twice a week, and repetition inside one state is the practice worth paying for.
What an advocate cannot do
An advocate cannot make a district agree. What moves a district is the record you build, and a good advocate spends more hours on the record than in the room.
What worked for a family in Sioux Falls may not fit yours, and the first thing worth asking an advocate is what is different about your file.
Local advocates and video advocates
Video is normal now. 24 of the advocates listed for South Dakota 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.
Remote IEP advocacy is allowed under IDEA
Video costs less when travel would otherwise be billed. It also removes the excuse that nobody could get to the building.
A phone call cannot read a classroom. If the question is whether the placement fits, somebody has to go and look.
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
Read the profiles on this page. Rates, service area and case history are the three worth comparing.
Contact
Send the same two questions to everybody, which are the rate and the first date they can meet.
Hire
You hire the advocate directly. The agreement is between the two of you.
Work together
Send the file, take the prep call and go into the meeting with a written list.
Find Parent Advocates is not a party to your contractual relationship with the advocate. We are not responsible for the fees or services provided.
South Dakota IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in South Dakota, 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.
Is an IEP advocate a type of lawyer?
An advocate is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice or file a lawsuit. What an advocate can do is build the written record a lawyer would need later.
Can I hire a virtual advocate if we live in South Dakota?
Yes. IDEA, the federal special education law, requires parent participation in IEP meetings and allows alternative means such as video or phone when you and the school agree. Your advocate does not have to live nearby.
How long can a school take to test my child?
South Dakota sets its own deadline and it is 25 school days. Federal law lets a state do that, so a timeline a parent reads on a national site may not be the one running here.
Do I have to use an advocate from my own town?
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.
Can an advocate help with a 504 plan and not an IEP?
Yes, and the rules differ slightly. Section 504 does not spell out who may attend the way IDEA does, so ask the school in writing before the meeting and keep the answer.
Official special education resources in South Dakota
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 South Dakota rules on this page
- ARSD 24:05:25, Evaluation procedures (ARSD 24:05:25:03)
- ARSD 24:05:24, Referral procedures (ARSD 24:05:24:02)
- SD DOE Special Education Programs
- SD DOE special education complaints
- ARSD 24:05:15, State Complaints (ARSD 24:05:15:02, 24:05:15:03, 24:05:15:06)
- SD DOE Special Education Programs, Sample Request for State Complaint (SD DOE Special Education Programs, August 2025)
- SD DOE, Special Education Dispute Resolution overview (SD DOE, April 2025)
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
