Laredo ISD staff run the IEP meetings in Laredo. These advocates sit on your side of the table.
5 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 Laredo schools are offering enough.
The meeting itself is the smallest part of the job. Nearly all the hours go into records and email before the Laredo team ever sits down.
Read the evaluation report twice. The second read is where the missing service usually shows up.
No advocate in this directory lists Laredo 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 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 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…
Virtual · based in New York, NY · works with Texas schools
Special Education Advocate
Clara Liriano, M.S., is a Special Education Advocate and New York State Certified Special Education Teacher with more than 20 years of experience supporting children and individuals with…
Laredo ISD runs the IEP meetings for most Laredo students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
An Irving 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. Laredo 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.
If the Laredo 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 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.
Advocates charge for this. At $75 to $150 per hour, a standard IEP cycle with two hours of prep and two hours in the meeting runs about $400, and that money does not come back if the answer is still no.
Laredo ISD is allowed to say no. What it is not allowed to do is say no without written notice that explains the reason.
No advocate is listed in every city. A remote advocate who knows Texas rules is usually a better hire for Laredo than a local one who does not.
Ask whether the advocate has sat in a Laredo ISD meeting before. The answer is a yes or a no and it tells you a great deal.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Laredo, Texas, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much should I budget for one IEP meeting?
Flat fees are common for a single meeting and hourly billing is common for everything else. Many advocates give a free first call. Nobody bills you through this site, so ask each person how they invoice.
Is it too late to bring in an advocate?
No fixed trigger exists. The useful test is whether you can tell from the paperwork what the school is actually offering, and whether the last thing you asked for came back in writing.
What district will be at my IEP meeting in Laredo?
Most Laredo families work with Laredo ISD. Charter and magnet enrollment can change which agency owes the service, so ask that question before the first meeting.
Do advocates here work on Section 504 plans in Laredo?
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 is the fastest way to see the school file?
A district can charge for copies. Asking to inspect the record in person costs nothing under federal rules, and it is usually faster than waiting for a copy set.
Official Texas links for parents in Laredo.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same Texas rules apply in Irving, Lubbock, Garland, Plano and the other cities listed here, or see every Texas advocate.
Send the same two questions to every advocate you contact in Laredo and Irving. Ask for the rate and for the first date they can meet.
Have the most recent Laredo ISD progress report open on the first call. It shows whether the goals moved at all.
