Based in Austin, TX
Chelsea Venegas
Educational Advocate
Chelsea Venegas is a special education advocate serving families in Austin, TX.
- From $175 per hour
- Meets by video or phone
IEP advocates in Arlington, Texas
Advocates here work with Arlington families and Arlington ISD teams. Each profile lists a rate when the advocate shares one.
5 based in Texas · 3 virtual advocates who work with Texas schools
What an advocate does for an Arlington family
An IEP advocate goes to school meetings with you and argues for services your child is not getting.
Arlington is the 7th-largest city in Texas. 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 an Arlington IEP meeting an advocate writes down what the team agrees to and asks for it in the document before anyone leaves the room.
Arlington ISD can charge for copies of a file. Asking to inspect the record in person instead costs nothing under federal rules.
Advocates based in Texas
No advocate in this directory lists Arlington as their home base. These advocates work from other parts of Texas, and each card names the city.
Based in Austin, TX
David Gonzales
Special Education Advocate
Hi, My name is David Gonzales. Living in Austin, TX, but originally from Los Angeles, CA. I carry a masters degree in special education and currently practice as a sped teacher.
- From $50 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
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
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 Hialeah, FL · works with Texas 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 Leonardtown, MD · works with Texas 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 Philadelphia, PA · works with Texas schools
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
Which district is in the room
Arlington ISD takes most Arlington addresses, but not all of them. Check yours before you send a letter, because a request that lands in the wrong district office does not start the evaluation clock at all.
Buildings do not fund services and districts do. Ask which office is deciding before you spend a meeting arguing with the wrong one.
- District Arlington ISD
- County Tarrant County
- Public schools inside Arlington 64
- Size Arlington is the 7th-largest city in Texas by the 2024 Census estimate
- Closest listed advocate Austin, TX
Confirm your child's district by address. Arlington addresses may fall in more than one public school district.
The deadlines that apply in Texas
Federal law lets a state write its own evaluation deadline instead of using the national one. What Texas actually requires is 45 school days.
Keep every email. Most of what an advocate does with an Arlington file is date-stamping what the school already told you.
Texas gives a school district 45 school days to finish an initial special education evaluation. A written request for an evaluation has to be answered inside 15 school days. Missed deadlines are handled by the Texas Education Agency, Office of Special Populations and Student Supports, which takes written state complaints from parents.
Who licenses advocates in Texas
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 Arlington district starts talking to its own lawyer.
A certificate says nothing about Arlington ISD. Ask instead what the advocate has filed there and what came back.
What an advocate cannot do
Hiring an advocate does not pause a deadline or undo a meeting that already happened. The work starts from wherever the Arlington file sits today.
Arlington ISD answers to the parent on the paperwork, so an advocate can draft the letter and you still have to be the one who sends it.
Local advocates and video advocates
Rates and openings decide most of this. An advocate who cannot meet before your Arlington meeting date is the wrong hire, and the second-best advocate who is free this month usually beats the best one who is not.
Read a profile for what the advocate actually did, not for what the profile claims. Case detail is the tell.
Arlington IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Arlington, Texas, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much does an IEP advocate cost in Arlington?
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.
Do I need a lawyer or an advocate for my child?
Two different jobs. The advocate works the IEP process and the attorney works the legal one. If a hearing is already filed, you need the attorney.
Which school district serves Arlington, Texas?
Most of the city sits inside Arlington ISD. The district writes the plan and holds the special education budget, which is why a complaint about a missed service names the district and not the school.
Who decides a special education complaint in Texas?
Written complaints go to the Texas Education Agency. It decides on the paperwork rather than at a hearing, so dates and documents are what the decision turns on.
How do I prepare for an IEP meeting in Arlington?
Bring the current IEP or 504 plan, the most recent evaluation report, the last two progress reports and any email where the school said no. An advocate who has those before the call can tell you what is missing in ten minutes.
Official special education resources in Texas
Official Texas links for parents in Arlington.
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 complaints process
- TEA special education
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
Nearby cities in Texas
The same Texas rules apply in Corpus Christi, El Paso, Austin, Plano and the other cities listed here, or see every Texas advocate.
What to do next
Start with two calls, not six. Ask each advocate what they would do first with an Arlington 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 Arlington ISD in the first message. That is enough for an advocate to know whether they can take the case.
