Based in Austin, TX
David Gonzales
Special Education Advocate
David Gonzales is a special education advocate serving families in Austin, TX.
- From $50 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
IEP advocates in Texas
Texas uses its own language. FIIE, ARD, and TEA complaint procedures. Compare advocates who can help you understand the data, prepare for the ARD committee, and act when timelines or services break down.
4 based in Texas · 8 virtual advocates who work with Texas schools
Texas parents are not just attending an IEP meeting. They are joining an ARD committee
Texas calls the IEP team the Admission, Review, and Dismissal committee, or ARD committee. Initial evaluations are commonly called Full Individual and Initial Evaluations, or FIIEs. Knowing the terminology helps, but the harder work is connecting the evaluation data to eligibility, goals, services, and placement.
An advocate can help the parent enter the ARD meeting with a documented position, a short list of requested actions, and a clear understanding of what the district’s evaluation does, and does not, answer.
Texas special education terms parents will hear
These Texas-specific terms appear throughout evaluations, ARD meetings, notices, and dispute-resolution records.
- ARD committee
- The Texas name for the team that makes eligibility, IEP, placement, and related special education decisions.
- FIIE
- A Full Individual and Initial Evaluation conducted to determine whether the student has a disability and needs special education and related services.
- FIE
- A Full Individual Evaluation; the term may be used for evaluation or reevaluation reports more broadly.
- TEA
- The Texas Education Agency, which administers the IDEA written state complaint process.
- Prior written notice
- Written notice explaining a district proposal or refusal concerning identification, evaluation, placement, or FAPE.
What the work looks like
Before the meeting an advocate reads the plan against the evaluation and pulls the progress data to see whether the goals actually moved.
Write down what changed at home. Teachers see one room for one hour and parents see the rest of the day.
Advocates based in Texas
These advocates list Texas 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 Midland, TX
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
Based in San Antonio, TX
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
Based in Katy, TX
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 advocates who work with Texas families
These advocates are not based in Texas. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Wesley Chapel, FL · works with Texas 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
Virtual · based in Los Angeles, CA · works with Texas schools
Sara Westin
Strategic Special Education Advocate
I combine the precision of a Columbia Law attorney with over a decade of special education leadership to help Los Angeles families navigate the IEP process with clarity, confidence, and results.
- From $250 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Arlington Heights, IL · works with Texas 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 Las Vegas, NV · works with Texas 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 Bloomington, IL · works with Texas 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 Texas 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 New York, NY · works with Texas schools
Clara Liriano
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…
- ADHD / Attention, AAC, Autism Spectrum, Behavioral & Emotional
- From $150 per hour
- Free first call
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Newcastle, OK · works with Texas schools
Lyndon Parker
Special Education Advocate - IEP Consultant
Former special education teacher and educational advocate with experience on both sides of the IEP table.
- From $65 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
From written request to FIIE and ARD in Texas
Texas’s ordinary initial-evaluation timeline is 45 school days after written parental consent. Separate Texas rules address student absences and evaluations that cross the end of the school year, so parents should track the actual consent and attendance dates.
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Make the request in writing
Describe why you suspect a disability, the areas that need evaluation, and the educational impact. Keep proof of delivery to a teacher or administrator.
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Review notice and consent documents
The district should identify the proposed evaluation areas. Ask questions before signing if important suspected needs are omitted.
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Track the FIIE deadline
In the ordinary case, the district must complete the written evaluation report within 45 school days after receiving written consent. Attendance and end-of-year rules can change the calculation.
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Prepare for the initial ARD committee meeting
The initial ARD is generally held within 30 calendar days after the FIIE report is completed, with special rules for reports completed near or during summer.
Exceptions and extensions
- If the student is absent three or more school days during the evaluation period, Texas law may allow a limited extension tied to those absences.
- Consent received late in the school year can trigger special report and ARD deadlines tied to the last instructional day and the following school year.
- Federal transfer and parent-availability exceptions may apply in limited circumstances.
Filing an IDEA complaint with the Texas Education Agency
TEA’s complaint process addresses alleged violations of IDEA Part B requirements. It does not investigate every school concern, and TEA expressly identifies matters outside the process, including Section 504, harassment, retaliation, personnel issues, and disputes about instructional methodology.
What the complaint must include
- A written, signed complaint stating the IDEA requirement allegedly violated and the supporting facts.
- Child and school information when the complaint concerns a specific student.
- A proposed resolution to the extent known and available.
- A copy sent to the public agency at the same time the complaint is filed with TEA.
Decision timeline
TEA generally resolves accepted complaints within 60 calendar days.
Extensions are limited to exceptional circumstances or an agreement to extend the timeline for mediation or another dispute-resolution process.
Who licenses advocates in Texas
Certification programs exist and some advocates hold them. None of them is issued by the Texas Education Agency, Office of Special Populations and Student Supports, and none of them is required to sit in an IEP meeting.
Advocates who work Houston and San Antonio 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
Hiring somebody does not pause a deadline or undo a meeting that already happened. The work starts from wherever the file sits today.
What worked for a family in Houston may not fit yours, and the first thing worth asking an advocate is what is different about your file.
Other dispute-resolution options
A state complaint is one path. Mediation, facilitation, due process, OCR, and local escalation each solve a different problem.
- Facilitated ARD
- Teams that need neutral help completing an ARD meeting Availability and request procedures vary, but facilitation can help the committee work through disputed items without giving the facilitator decision-making authority.
- Mediation
- Parties willing to negotiate an IDEA dispute Mediation is voluntary and may resolve issues without a hearing.
- Due process hearing
- Formal disputes about identification, evaluation, placement, or FAPE Texas due process is legal and deadline-sensitive. Families should consider attorney advice for hearing claims.
- OCR or local Section 504 procedure
- Section 504 or disability-discrimination issues TEA’s IDEA complaint unit does not investigate Section 504 complaints.
Local advocates and video advocates
4 advocates on this page are based in Texas. The others work with families here by video.
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
Remote work is normal in special education now. Documents move by email and the meeting runs on a call.
Distance changes the cost and not the law. Somebody working remotely bills for reading and for the meeting, and never for the drive.
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
Browse by city or take the statewide list. The rules are the same either way.
Contact
Send the same two questions to everybody, which are the rate and the first date they can meet.
Hire
Approve the hours in advance. Most advocates will not bill past an agreed number without asking.
Work together
Keep the timeline updated as things happen. It is the document every later step is built from.
Find Parent Advocates is not a party to your contractual relationship with the advocate. We are not responsible for the fees or services provided.
Texas IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Texas, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What is the difference between an FIIE and an ARD meeting?
The FIIE is the evaluation report. The ARD committee uses the evaluation and other data to decide eligibility and, when appropriate, develop the student’s IEP.
Is the Texas evaluation timeline always exactly 45 school days?
Forty-five school days is the ordinary rule after written consent, but student absences and end-of-school-year timing can change the calculation.
Can TEA reconsider a state complaint decision?
No. Texas removed its former complaint reconsideration process effective June 18, 2026, and investigative reports are final under the current rule.
Does TEA investigate Section 504 complaints?
No. TEA’s IDEA written complaint process identifies Section 504 and civil-rights issues as outside its complaint jurisdiction.
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 Texas?
Most parents call after a school says no to testing, after goals repeat unchanged for a year, or a week before an annual review. Earlier is cheaper. An advocate hired the night before a meeting can only read so much.
Official special education resources in Texas
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 Texas rules on this page
- 19 TAC Chapter 89, Subchapter AA, currently in effect (TEA) (19 TAC 89.1011(d)(1))
- TEA, Full and Individual Initial Evaluation timeline (19 TAC 89.1011(d)(1) and Tex. Educ. Code 29.004(a)(1))
- TEA special education
- TEA special education complaints process
- TEA evaluation guidance
- TEA special education complaints
- Texas administrative rule adoption eliminating reconsideration
- TEA dispute resolution
Last reviewed 2026-08-02.
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