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 Converse, Texas
Special education and Section 504 advocates for Judson ISD families in Converse.
5 based in Texas · 3 virtual advocates who work with Texas schools
What an IEP advocate is
Advocates work for you, not for the school. That is the whole difference.
The search usually starts the week a parent reads an evaluation report and cannot tell from it whether Converse schools are offering enough.
Before and after a Converse IEP meeting
Paperwork is where cases are won or lost, and an advocate who has read every progress report in the file will find the sentence a Converse team wrote two years ago that contradicts what it is saying now.
Request the full file in writing before you hire anyone. Schools have to give parents the education records they keep.
Advocates based in Texas
No advocate in this directory lists Converse 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 Cumming, GA · works with Texas schools
Russell Lloyd
Founder
I’m Russell Lloyd, founder of YourChild.org, author, mentor, and special education advocate. I review the record, find the gaps, build the strategy, prepare the parent, and lead IEP meetings.
- Anxiety, ADHD / Attention, Autism Spectrum, Behavioral & Emotional
- From $95 per hour
- 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
Virtual · based in Atlanta, GA · works with Texas schools
Jalani Traxler
Special Education Advocate
My name is Jalani Traxler and I have loved teaching sense I myself was a student with an IEP receiving my own accommodations in elementary school.
- Dyslexia, Early Childhood, Emotional Regulation, ESY
- From $65 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
The district behind a Converse IEP
Judson ISD runs the IEP meetings for most Converse students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
A Katy parent group can tell you how the same district handled a case like yours, which is worth more to read than a policy page.
- District Judson ISD
- County Bexar County
- Public schools inside Converse 8
- Size Converse is the 115th-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.
What the clock is here
Federal law lets a state write its own evaluation deadline instead of using the national one. What Texas actually requires is 45 school days.
If the Converse team says no, ask for the refusal in 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.
No license, no required certification
No state license exists for special education advocacy. No federal agency issues one either, and no exam stands between a person and the title.
Check the references and not the letters after the name. Two calls to past clients settle it faster than any credential list.
Where advocacy stops
No advocate can promise a placement or an outcome in Converse. Anyone who does is selling you something.
Judson ISD is allowed to say no. What it is not allowed to do is say no without written notice that explains the reason.
Who serves Converse today
No advocate is listed in every city. A remote advocate who knows Texas rules is usually a better hire for Converse than a local one who does not.
Advocates who take Katy cases usually take these too. Say where you are in the first email so nobody wastes a week finding out.
Converse IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Converse, Texas, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much should I budget for one IEP meeting?
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 remote IEP advocacy allowed?
Yes, with one condition. The school has to agree to the meeting format, so put the request in writing before the date is set.
What district will be at my IEP meeting in Converse?
Most Converse families work with Judson ISD. Charter and magnet enrollment can change which agency owes the service, so ask that question before the first meeting.
How many advocates on this page are based in Texas?
Every card on this page names the city the advocate works from. Advocates listed under the virtual heading live somewhere else and work with families here by video or phone.
What should I bring to the IEP meeting?
Write down the two things you want changed and bring the paperwork that shows why. Meetings run long when nobody in the room has decided what the ask is.
Official special education resources in Texas
Official Texas links for parents in Converse.
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.
Before you contact anyone
Send the same two questions to every advocate you contact in Converse and Katy. Ask for the rate and for the first date they can meet.
Keep a one-page timeline of what happened and when. Every advocate you talk to will start by building the same thing.
