See who is based in Austin and who works with Texas schools by video before you contact anyone.
5 based in Texas · 3 virtual advocates who work with Texas schools
An advocate is a paid professional who reads the evaluation reports, drafts your concerns, sits beside you at the IEP table, and follows up on whatever the school agreed to do.
Austin is the 5th-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.
During an Austin IEP meeting an advocate writes down what the team agrees to and asks for it in the document before anyone leaves the room.
Austin ISD keeps progress data on every goal in the plan. Ask for it as a table of dates and numbers rather than a paragraph.
One of these advocates works from Austin. The rest are based elsewhere in Texas. Each card names the city.
Based in Austin, TX
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.
Based in Alamo, TX
Bilingual Special Education Advocate and Interpreter
Félix Ramos Jr. es fundador de RIO Advocates, LLC, donde brinda servicios bilingües de defensa educativa e interpretación en inglés y español.
Based in San Antonio, TX
Special Education Advocate | National COPAA Instructor
As an experienced Special Education Advocate, Executive Function Specialist, and expert IEP Coach, I offer families pathways to ensure they are informed, prepared, and confident as they navigate…
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 Leesburg, FL · works with Texas schools
CEO IEP Advocate Espanol
Evelyn Roman-Santos is a bilingual Special Education Advocate with 30 years of experience as a School Social Worker.
Virtual · based in Buford, GA · works with Texas schools
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.
Virtual · based in Kansas City, MO · works with Texas schools
Navigate Special Education with Clarity and Confidence - Guiding Families. Building Futures.
Dr. Diane is a special education advocate and founder of Steppingstone Services, LLC. She holds a Ph.D.
Austin ISD runs the IEP meetings for most Austin students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Buildings do not fund services and districts do. Ask which office is deciding before you spend a meeting arguing with the wrong one.
Confirm your child's district by address. Austin addresses may fall in more than one public school district.
The deadline for finishing an initial evaluation in Texas is 45 school days. Put that date on your calendar the day the paperwork goes in.
Bring the last two report cards and the current plan. That is usually enough paper to start.
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.
Texas does not license or certify special education advocates. Anyone in Austin can print a card with the word advocate on it.
A certificate says nothing about Austin ISD. Ask instead what the advocate has filed there and what came back.
Hiring an advocate does not pause a deadline or undo a meeting that already happened. The work starts from wherever the Austin file sits today.
What worked for a family in El Paso may not fit yours. Ask the advocate what is different about your file before you copy anyone.
One advocate listed here, David, works out of Austin. The others reach Texas families by video or by driving in.
Ask for two references from cases like yours. Somebody who cannot produce one has not worked many.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Austin, Texas, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much does an IEP advocate cost in Austin?
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.
Which school district serves Austin, Texas?
Austin ISD runs the IEP meetings for most Austin students. District lines and city lines are not the same, so confirm yours by address before you send a letter.
Are there any IEP advocates near Austin?
1 of the advocates listed here give a Texas home address and 26 more work with families here remotely. Being listed is not the same as taking every case, so read the service area first.
Should my child have an IEP or a Section 504 plan?
The short version. IEP means the school changes what is taught and how, and Section 504 means the school changes the conditions around it.
Who decides a special education complaint in Texas?
The Texas Education Agency takes written complaints from parents about missed deadlines and services never delivered. An advocate can prepare one. The advocate does not decide it and cannot make the district settle.
Official Texas links for parents in Austin.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same Texas rules apply in El Paso, Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas and the other cities listed here, or see every Texas advocate.
Print the current IEP and bring it to the first call. Every advocate on the Austin list will ask for it.
Say the name of your school and Austin ISD in the first message. That is enough for an advocate to know whether they can take the case.
