Special education and Section 504 advocates for Lamar CISD families in Richmond.
4 based in Texas · 3 virtual advocates who work with Texas schools
Advocates get hired after a meeting goes badly, rarely before the first one, which is why most of them start by reading a file that already carries a year of history in it.
The search usually starts the week a parent reads an evaluation report and cannot tell from it whether Richmond 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.
Note what changed at home. Teachers see one room for one hour and parents see the rest of the day.
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 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 Newcastle, OK · works with Texas schools
Special Education Advocate - IEP Consultant
Former special education teacher and educational advocate with experience on both sides of the IEP table.
Virtual · based in Harrisburg, PA · works with Texas schools
Special Education Advocate
I’m a special education teacher with experience supporting students with behavioral, intellectual, and learning needs.
Virtual · based in Arlington Heights, IL · works with Texas schools
Special Education Advocate
I am a former special education teacher, with experience in public and therapeutic day schools.
Lamar CISD runs the IEP meetings for most Richmond students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Parents in Leon Valley face the same paperwork. Rules do not change from one town to the next inside a state.
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.
Write down what you want the school to add, in one page, before you walk into the Richmond meeting, because a team that reads your list in advance cannot pretend it never came up.
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.
Check the references and not the letters after the name. Two calls to past clients settle it faster than any credential list.
Advocates do not decide complaints. The Texas Education Agency does, and only after someone files one in writing.
Lamar CISD 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 Richmond than a local one who does not.
Experience with Lamar CISD matters more than the number of years printed on a profile page.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Richmond, Texas, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What do special education advocates charge in Richmond, Texas?
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.
Who runs special education for Richmond schools?
Most of the city sits inside Lamar CISD. 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 rule here is 45 school days. It covers the evaluation only. Writing the plan after a child is found eligible is a separate step with its own timing.
Do I have to use an advocate from my own town?
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 documents does an advocate need from me?
Start with a one-page timeline of what happened and when. Every advocate you talk to will build the same thing, so writing it yourself saves an hour of billed time.
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.
If nobody here fits, check the Leon Valley page next. The same Texas rules apply there.
Have the most recent Lamar CISD progress report open on the first call. It shows whether the goals moved at all.
