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 The Woodlands, Texas
Conroe ISD staff run the IEP meetings in The Woodlands. These advocates sit on your side of the table.
5 based in Texas · 3 virtual advocates who work with Texas schools
What an IEP advocate is
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.
Parents in The Woodlands usually start looking for an advocate when a meeting is already on the calendar.
Before and after a The Woodlands IEP meeting
The meeting itself is the smallest part of the job. Nearly all the hours go into records and email before the The Woodlands team ever sits down.
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 The Woodlands 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 Wesley Chapel, FL · works with Texas schools
Angela Picardi
Special Education Advocate
With 24 years of experience in the K-12 sector, I serves as a Student Support Specialist specializing in academic and behavioral ESE services.
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Intellectual Disability, Learning Disabilities
- Contact for rate
- Meets in person or by video
The district behind a The Woodlands IEP
Conroe ISD takes most The Woodlands addresses, but not all of them. Check yours before you send a letter, because a request that lands in the wrong district office does not start the evaluation clock at all.
An Allen 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 Conroe ISD
- County Montgomery County
- Public schools inside The Woodlands 18
- Closest listed advocate Midland, TX
Confirm your child's district by address. The Woodlands addresses may fall in more than one public school district.
What the clock is here
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.
If the The Woodlands 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
The Texas Education Agency oversees special education in Texas. It does not license the advocates parents hire.
Ask what training the advocate actually finished and who ran it. A one-day webinar and a two-year program both end in a certificate.
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.
Conroe 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 The Woodlands today
Being listed for Texas is not the same as taking The Woodlands cases, so read the service area on each of the 5 in-state profiles before you write to anyone.
Ask whether the advocate has sat in a Conroe ISD meeting before. The answer is a yes or a no and it tells you a great deal.
The Woodlands IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in The Woodlands, Texas, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What do special education advocates charge in The Woodlands, 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.
What is the difference between an IEP advocate and a special education attorney?
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.
Who runs special education for The Woodlands schools?
Most The Woodlands families work with Conroe ISD. Charter and magnet enrollment can change which agency owes the service, so ask that question before the first meeting.
Can I bring an advocate to a Section 504 meeting?
Nearly every advocate on this page takes both. Compare profiles for experience with accommodations, 504 meetings and school compliance, and ask the school in writing before you bring anyone to a 504 meeting.
Are there free IEP advocates in The Woodlands?
Every state has a federally funded Parent Training and Information Center that answers questions at no charge. Free help usually means general guidance rather than somebody sitting next to you in the meeting.
Official special education resources in Texas
Official Texas links for parents in The Woodlands.
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.
Nearby cities in Texas
The same Texas rules apply in Allen, Conroe, Beaumont, New Braunfels and the other cities listed here, or see every Texas advocate.
Before you contact anyone
You are not limited to advocates inside The Woodlands. The closest listed office is in Midland, 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.
