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 Waco, Texas
Special education and Section 504 advocates for Waco ISD families in Waco.
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.
The search usually starts the week a parent reads an evaluation report and cannot tell from it whether Waco schools are offering enough.
Before and after a Waco IEP meeting
The meeting itself is the smallest part of the job. Nearly all the hours go into records and email before the Waco 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 Waco 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 Lamar, CO · works with Texas schools
Jordan Kemp
Special Education Advocate
I’ve been a science teacher, a Director of Financial Aid, and a Dean of Students at a rural community college — always at the table with students and families navigating systems not built for them.
- From $95 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in San Diego, CA · works with Texas schools
Sanford Autism Advocacy Group
Special Education Advocate
At the Sanford Autism Advocacy Group (SAAG), we are a small but mighty special education consulting group with an emphasis on Autism and IEPs.
- Autism, Other Health Impairment, Speech/Language, IDEA
- From $200 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
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
The district behind a Waco IEP
16 public schools inside Waco belong to Waco ISD. 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.
A McAllen 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 Waco ISD
- County McLennan County
- Public schools inside Waco 16
- Size Waco is the 24th-largest city in Texas by the 2024 Census estimate
- Closest listed advocate Midland, TX
Confirm your child's district by address. Waco addresses may fall in more than one public school district.
What the clock is here
Federal law lets a state write its own evaluation deadline instead of using the national one. What Texas actually requires is 45 school days.
Write down what you want the school to add, in one page, before you walk into the Waco 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
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.
Where advocacy stops
Advocates do not decide complaints. The Texas Education Agency does, and only after someone files one in writing.
Waco 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 Waco today
Being listed for Texas is not the same as taking Waco 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 Waco ISD meeting before. The answer is a yes or a no and it tells you a great deal.
Waco IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Waco, Texas, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much should I budget for one IEP meeting?
Flat fees are common for a single meeting and hourly billing is common for everything else. Many advocates give a free first call. Nobody bills you through this site, so ask each person how they invoice.
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.
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.
Is remote IEP advocacy allowed?
Video is normal now. A remote advocate reads the file, drafts your concerns and joins the meeting by phone. What a remote advocate cannot do is walk the building or read the room.
What district will be at my IEP meeting in Waco?
Waco ISD runs the IEP meetings for most Waco students. District lines and city lines are not the same, so confirm yours by address before you send a letter.
Official special education resources in Texas
Official Texas links for parents in Waco.
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 McAllen, Midland, Lewisville, Pasadena and the other cities listed here, or see every Texas advocate.
Before you contact anyone
If nobody here fits, check the McAllen page next. The same Texas rules apply there.
Free calls are common. Use them to compare people, not to collect advice for nothing.
