Special education and Section 504 advocates for Houston ISD families in Bellaire.
4 based in Texas · 3 virtual advocates who work with Texas schools
Hiring one is optional. Nothing in federal law requires a parent to bring an advocate to an IEP meeting.
The search usually starts the week a parent reads an evaluation report and cannot tell from it whether Bellaire schools are offering enough.
After the meeting the work is dull. The advocate reads the draft against the notes and sends a correction back the same week.
Request the full file in writing before you hire anyone. Schools have to give parents the education records they keep.
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
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 Midland, TX
Special Education Advocate
Kate Keenan is a special education advocate serving families in Midland, TX.
Based in San Antonio, TX
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.
Based in Katy, TX
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.
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
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.
Virtual · based in Philadelphia, PA · works with Texas schools
Educational Consultant
I began this journey because my own daughter was issued an IEP in 3rd grade. I didn't understand special education.
Virtual · based in Inverness, IL · works with Texas schools
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…
Houston ISD runs the IEP meetings for most Bellaire students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
A Brownwood parent group can tell you how the same district handled a case like yours, which is worth more to read than a policy page.
Confirm your child's district by address before you send a letter or name a district-specific process.
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.
Put the request in writing and date it. An email to the Bellaire school counts as writing.
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.
The Texas Education Agency oversees special education in Texas. It does not license the advocates parents hire.
Membership in a professional body is not a licence. It usually means dues were paid and a code of conduct was signed.
No advocate can promise a placement or an outcome in Bellaire. Anyone who does is selling you something.
Houston ISD is allowed to say no. What it is not allowed to do is say no without written notice that explains the reason.
Being listed for Texas is not the same as taking Bellaire cases, so read the service area on each of the 4 in-state profiles before you write to anyone.
Advocates who take Brownwood cases usually take these too. Say where you are in the first email so nobody wastes a week finding out.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Bellaire, Texas, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What do special education advocates charge in Bellaire, Texas?
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.
Can we work with an advocate who lives outside Texas?
Yes, with one condition. The school has to agree to the meeting format, so put the request in writing before the date is set.
Who runs special education for Bellaire schools?
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.
What is the evaluation deadline in Texas?
The deadline in Texas for finishing an initial evaluation is 45 school days. Put that date on your calendar the day you sign consent, because the district counts from the paperwork and not from the conversation.
Can I bring an advocate to a Section 504 meeting?
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 Texas links for parents in Bellaire.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same Texas rules apply in Brownwood, Live Oak, Richmond, Universal City and the other cities listed here, or see every Texas advocate.
You are not limited to advocates inside Bellaire. The closest listed office is in Katy, and distance matters less than whether that person has worked a case in your district.
Have the most recent Houston ISD progress report open on the first call. It shows whether the goals moved at all.
