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 Seguin, Texas
Special education and Section 504 advocates for Seguin ISD families in Seguin.
5 based in Texas · 3 virtual advocates who work with Texas schools
What an IEP advocate is
Hiring one is optional. Nothing in federal law requires a parent to bring an advocate to an IEP meeting.
Families in Seguin and Cibolo run into the same problem. The school says the current plan is working, and the progress report shows the same goal repeated from last year with the same numbers under it.
Before and after a Seguin 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 Seguin team wrote two years ago that contradicts what it is saying now.
Read the evaluation report twice. The second read is where the missing service usually shows up.
Advocates based in Texas
No advocate in this directory lists Seguin 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 Hialeah, FL · works with Texas schools
Julian Moreira
Advocate
Hello! I look forward to helping families and their students get the crucial support they need. I have varied experience working with families and educators at the state and local levels.
- Autism Spectrum, Behavioral Support, Intellectual & Cognitive, Learning Disabilities
- From $100 per hour
- Free first call
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Hawthorne, NJ · works with Texas schools
Dalia Rodriguez
IEP Consultant, School Social Worker, Advocacy
I am a Child Study Team School Social Worker, with a Master of Social Work from Fordham University. I have core competencies in special education law, mental health, and behavioral health.
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Developmental Delay, Intellectual Disability
- Contact for rate
- Meets by video or phone
Virtual · based in Los Angeles, CA · works with Texas schools
Sara Westin
Strategic Special Education Advocate
I combine the precision of a Columbia Law attorney with over a decade of special education leadership to help Los Angeles families navigate the IEP process with clarity, confidence, and results.
- From $250 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
The district behind a Seguin IEP
Seguin ISD runs the IEP meetings for most Seguin students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Parents in Cibolo face the same paperwork. Rules do not change from one town to the next inside a state.
- District Seguin ISD
- County Guadalupe County
- Public schools inside Seguin 10
- Size Seguin is the 96th-largest city in Texas by the 2024 Census estimate
- Closest listed advocate Katy, TX
Confirm your child's district by address. Seguin addresses may fall in more than one public school district.
What the clock is here
The clock that matters starts when you sign consent. In Texas it runs 45 school days.
Write down what you want the school to add, in one page, before you walk into the Seguin 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.
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
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.
Seguin 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 Seguin today
No advocate is listed in every city. A remote advocate who knows Texas rules is usually a better hire for Seguin than a local one who does not.
Advocates who take Cibolo cases usually take these too. Say where you are in the first email so nobody wastes a week finding out.
Seguin IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Seguin, 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.
Can an advocate represent me at a due process hearing in Texas?
No. Advocates prepare for meetings, read the records and negotiate with the district. Attorneys file due process complaints and appear at hearings, which an advocate cannot do.
What district will be at my IEP meeting in Seguin?
Seguin ISD runs the IEP meetings for most Seguin students. District lines and city lines are not the same, so confirm yours by address before you send a letter.
How many days does an initial evaluation take?
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.
Does the state provide a free advocate?
Free guidance exists. Parent centers, disability rights agencies and local parent groups all give it, and none of them will attend the meeting as your representative.
Official special education resources in Texas
Official Texas links for parents in Seguin.
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
You are not limited to advocates inside Seguin. The closest listed office is in Katy, and distance matters less than whether that person has worked a case in your district.
Free calls are common. Use them to compare people, not to collect advice for nothing.
