Advocates here work with Carrollton families and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD teams. Each profile lists a rate when the advocate shares one.
5 based in Texas · 3 virtual advocates who work with Texas schools
An IEP advocate goes to school meetings with you and argues for services your child is not getting.
Parents in Carrollton usually start looking for an advocate when a meeting is already on the calendar.
During a Carrollton IEP meeting an advocate writes down what the team agrees to and asks for it in the document before anyone leaves the room.
Records live with Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, not with the front office of one building, and a request addressed to the district gets a faster answer than one that is not.
No advocate in this directory lists Carrollton 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 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 Atlanta, GA · works with Texas schools
School Psychologist & Parent Advocate
I’m a certified School Psychologist, Parent Advocate, and Coach dedicated to helping families navigate special education with confidence.
Virtual · based in Oscoda, MI · works with Texas schools
Special Education Advocate | Certified Neurodiversity Coach | Certified Neuropsychology Coach
Michelle Velazquez is a Special Education Advocate, Educational Consultant, Master IEP Coach®, and Certified Neurodiversity and Neuropsychology Coach.
Virtual · based in Fredericksburg, VA · works with Texas schools
Founder and Principal
Jonathan Martinis is the founder of LightPath Advocacy (www.lightpathadvocacy.com). For 25+ years he has helped people with disabilities and their families get the services and supports they're…
18 public schools inside Carrollton belong to Carrollton-Farmers Branch 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.
Charter and magnet enrollment changes who owes the service. Ask which agency is responsible before the first meeting.
Confirm your child's district by address. Carrollton addresses may fall in more than one public school district.
Federal law lets a state write its own evaluation deadline instead of using the national one. What Texas actually requires is 45 school days.
Ask the Carrollton team for the evaluation report before the meeting, not at it, because nobody reads a long report accurately while the rest of the team waits.
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.
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 Carrollton district starts talking to its own lawyer.
A certificate says nothing about Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD. Ask instead what the advocate has filed there and what came back.
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.
Carrollton-Farmers Branch 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.
Video is normal now. 26 of the advocates listed for Carrollton work with families by phone or video instead of driving to the school.
Distance is a scheduling problem and not a legal one. Meetings run by video whenever the parent and the school both agree to it.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Carrollton, 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.
Can I hire a virtual advocate if we live in Carrollton?
Yes, with one condition. The school has to agree to the meeting format, so put the request in writing before the date is set.
Does Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD cover every Carrollton address?
Most Carrollton families work with Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD. Charter and magnet enrollment can change which agency owes the service, so ask that question before the first meeting.
Can an advocate help with a 504 plan and not an IEP?
Yes. Section 504 work looks the same as IEP work, which is records, a written request and somebody in the room who knows what the school already agreed to.
What should I have ready before the first call with an advocate?
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 Texas links for parents in Carrollton.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same Texas rules apply in Lewisville, Round Rock, Abilene, Midland and the other cities listed here, or see every Texas advocate.
Search is free. You contact advocates directly.
Do not sign anything at the first meeting if you are unsure. Consent can wait a day.
