Special education and Section 504 advocates for Lamar CISD families in Richmond.
5 based in Texas · 3 virtual advocates who work with Texas schools
The job is plain. An advocate knows what services the school owes your child and asks for them in writing.
Most of the work happens before anyone sits down in a Richmond conference room.
During a Richmond IEP meeting an advocate writes down what the team agrees to and asks for it in the document before anyone leaves the room.
Lamar CISD keeps progress data on every goal in the plan. Ask for it as a table of dates and numbers rather than a paragraph.
No advocate in this directory lists Richmond 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 Springfield, MA · works with Texas schools
N/A
My parent advocacy experience in special education began with students diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, assisting parents with IEP language, asking the appropriate questions to get the answers they…
Virtual · based in Avondale, PA · works with Texas schools
Personalized support from an Experienced Advocate
I'm Lisa Lightner, a Special Education Advocate with 16 years of experience helping families navigate IEPs, evaluations, placement disputes, and special education challenges.
Virtual · based in Portland, OR · works with Texas schools
Experienced Special Education Advocate & Former District Administrator
Chelsea Venegas, M.Ed., is the Founder & Special Education Advocate at Access & Bloom. A former special education teacher, school administrator, and district leader, she supports families with IEPs,…
23 public schools inside Richmond belong to Lamar CISD. 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.
Confirm your child's district by address. Richmond addresses may fall in more than one public school district.
Once you sign consent for testing, a Texas district has 45 school days to finish an initial evaluation, and that clock does not stop because a case manager is out or the file went to the wrong building.
Keep every email. Most of what an advocate does with a Richmond 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.
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 Richmond district starts talking to its own lawyer.
Lamar CISD does not approve or bar advocates. Federal rules let a parent bring anyone with knowledge of the child to the meeting.
Advocates are not attorneys. No advocate in Richmond can file a lawsuit for you or give you legal advice about the case.
Nobody can undo a meeting you already agreed to in writing. Read the page you are asked to sign before the room empties.
Rates and openings decide most of this. An advocate who cannot meet before your Richmond meeting date is the wrong hire, and the second-best advocate who is free this month usually beats the best one who is not.
Ask for two references from cases like yours. Somebody who cannot produce one has not worked many.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Richmond, 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.
When should I hire a special education advocate in Richmond?
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.
Is an IEP advocate a type of lawyer?
An advocate is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice or file a lawsuit. What an advocate can do is build the written record a lawyer would need later.
Does Lamar CISD cover every Richmond address?
Most Richmond families work with Lamar CISD. Charter and magnet enrollment can change which agency owes the service, so ask that question before the first meeting.
How do I know where an advocate actually works from?
No advocate is listed in every town, and each card here says where that person lives. Somebody who knows the state rules and has an opening this month usually beats the nearest name on the list.
Official Texas links for parents in Richmond.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same Texas rules apply in Leon Valley, Live Oak, Bellaire, Helotes and the other cities listed here, or see every Texas advocate.
Print the current IEP and bring it to the first call. Every advocate on the Richmond list will ask for it.
Do not sign anything at the first meeting if you are unsure. Consent can wait a day.
