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 Bellaire, Texas
Special education and Section 504 advocates for Houston ISD families in Bellaire.
5 based in Texas · 3 virtual advocates who work with Texas schools
What an advocate does for a Bellaire family
An IEP advocate goes to school meetings with you and argues for services your child is not getting.
Bellaire is the 172nd-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
Advocates also coach. Some Bellaire parents hire one for two hours of prep and go into the meeting alone.
Houston ISD keeps progress data on every goal in the plan. Ask for it as a table of dates and numbers rather than a paragraph.
Advocates based in Texas
No advocate in this directory lists Bellaire 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 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 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
Virtual · based in Inverness, IL · works with Texas 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
Which district is in the room
5 public schools inside Bellaire belong to Houston ISD. Each one has its own case manager and its own backlog, and the answer you get about scheduling depends on which building your child attends.
District lines and city lines are not the same thing. A street can sit inside one city and be zoned to the district next door.
- District Houston ISD
- County Harris County
- Public schools inside Bellaire 5
- Size Bellaire is the 172nd-largest city in Texas by the 2024 Census estimate
- Closest listed advocate Katy, TX
Confirm your child's district by address before you send a letter or name a district-specific process.
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 a Bellaire 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
Texas does not license or certify special education advocates. Anyone in Bellaire can print a card with the word advocate on it.
A certificate says nothing about Houston ISD. Ask instead what the advocate has filed there and what came back.
What an advocate cannot do
An advocate cannot make the district agree. What moves a district is the record you build, not the person sitting next to you, and a good advocate spends more hours on the record than in the room.
Nobody can undo a meeting you already agreed to in writing. Read the page you are asked to sign before the room empties.
Local advocates and video advocates
Video is normal now. 21 of the advocates listed for Bellaire work with families by phone or video instead of driving to the school.
Ask for two references from cases like yours. Somebody who cannot produce one has not worked many.
Bellaire IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Bellaire, Texas, 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.
Is an IEP advocate a type of lawyer?
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.
Can I hire a virtual advocate if we live in Bellaire?
Video is normal now. A remote advocate reads the file, drafts your concerns and joins the meeting by phone. What a remote advocate cannot do is walk the building or read the room.
Does Houston ISD cover every Bellaire address?
Most of the city sits inside Houston 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 investigates a school for missing an IEP deadline?
Three routes stay open when you disagree. Mediation is voluntary for both sides, a written state complaint is decided on the record by the Texas Education Agency, and a due process hearing takes evidence.
Official special education resources in Texas
Official Texas links for parents in Bellaire.
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 Brownwood, Live Oak, Richmond, Universal City and the other cities listed here, or see every Texas advocate.
What to do next
Print the current IEP and bring it to the first call. Every advocate on the Bellaire list will ask for it.
Say the name of your school and Houston ISD in the first message. That is enough for an advocate to know whether they can take the case.
