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 Universal City, Texas
Advocates here work with Universal City families and Judson ISD teams. Each profile lists a rate when the advocate shares one.
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.
Universal City parents tend to call at one of two moments. The first is before an initial evaluation and the second is after a service quietly disappears from the plan.
Before and after an Universal City IEP meeting
The meeting itself is the smallest part of the job. Nearly all the hours go into records and email before the Universal City team ever sits down.
Request the full file in writing before you hire anyone. Schools have to give parents the education records they keep.
Advocates based in Texas
No advocate in this directory lists Universal City 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 New York, NY · works with Texas schools
Clara Liriano
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…
- ADHD / Attention, AAC, Autism Spectrum, Behavioral & Emotional
- From $150 per hour
- Free first call
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Cumming, GA · works with Texas schools
Russell Lloyd
Founder
I’m Russell Lloyd, founder of YourChild.org, author, mentor, and special education advocate. I review the record, find the gaps, build the strategy, prepare the parent, and lead IEP meetings.
- Anxiety, ADHD / Attention, Autism Spectrum, Behavioral & Emotional
- From $95 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Philadelphia, PA · works with Texas schools
Karen McCree
Educational Consultant
I began this journey because my own daughter was issued an IEP in 3rd grade. I didn't understand special education.
- ADHD / Attention, Autism Spectrum, Behavioral & Emotional, Behavioral Support
- From $100 per hour
- Free first call
- Meets in person or by video
The district behind an Universal City IEP
Judson ISD runs the IEP meetings for most Universal City students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Parents in Boerne face the same paperwork. Rules do not change from one town to the next inside a state.
- District Judson ISD
- County Bexar County
- Public schools inside Universal City 4
- Size Universal City is the 152nd-largest city in Texas by the 2024 Census estimate
- Closest listed advocate Katy, TX
Confirm your child's district by address before you send a letter or name a district-specific process.
What the clock is here
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.
Write down what you want the school to add, in one page, before you walk into the Universal City 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.
Membership in a professional body is not a licence. It usually means dues were paid and a code of conduct was signed.
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.
Advocates who have never seen the file cannot tell you what is missing from it. Send the records first and book the call second.
Who serves Universal City today
No advocate is listed in every city. A remote advocate who knows Texas rules is usually a better hire for Universal City than a local one who does not.
Advocates who take Boerne cases usually take these too. Say where you are in the first email so nobody wastes a week finding out.
Universal City IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Universal City, Texas, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much should I budget for one IEP meeting?
Rates run $75 to $250 per hour. What moves the number is experience, the type of case, and whether anyone has to drive to the meeting. Profiles here show the rate when the advocate publishes one.
Is it too late to bring in an advocate?
Bring somebody in when the file stops making sense to you. A routine review with services in place and progress data that moves usually does not need one.
Is remote IEP advocacy allowed?
Yes. IDEA, the federal special education law, requires parent participation in IEP meetings and allows alternative means such as video or phone when you and the school agree. Your advocate does not have to live nearby.
What district will be at my IEP meeting in Universal City?
Judson ISD runs the IEP meetings for most Universal City students. District lines and city lines are not the same, so confirm yours by address before you send a letter.
How do I file a state special education complaint in Texas?
The Texas Education Agency takes written complaints from parents about missed deadlines and services never delivered. An advocate can prepare one. The advocate does not decide it and cannot make the district settle.
Official special education resources in Texas
Official Texas links for parents in Universal City.
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 Universal City. The closest listed office is in Katy, and distance matters less than whether that person has worked a case in your district.
Have the most recent Judson ISD progress report open on the first call. It shows whether the goals moved at all.
