Special education and Section 504 advocates for Fairfax County Public Schools families in Reston.
3 virtual advocates who work with Virginia schools
Advocates work for you, not for the school. That is the whole difference.
Families in Reston and Harrisonburg 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.
The meeting itself is the smallest part of the job. Nearly all the hours go into records and email before the Reston team ever sits down.
Request the full file in writing before you hire anyone. Schools have to give parents the education records they keep.
These advocates are not based in Virginia. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Coraopolis, PA · works with Virginia schools
Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Special Education Advocate
Hi there! I'm Brittany, owner and founder of Balanced Behaviors, LLC. I'm a Behavior Analyst and Licensed Behavior Specialist in Pennsylvania with a Master’s in Special Education from Slippery Rock…
Virtual · based in New York, NY · works with Virginia schools
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…
Virtual · based in San Angelo, TX · works with Virginia schools
Special Education Advocate/IEP Consultant
Hello! My journey began as a middle and high school teacher in 2006. After 2 years in the general education classroom, I began my journey with special education and became an elementary inclusion…
See all 20 virtual advocates who work with Virginia families
Fairfax County Public Schools runs the IEP meetings for most Reston students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
A Harrisonburg parent group can tell you how the same district handled a case like yours, which is worth more to read than a policy page.
Confirm your child's district by address before you send a letter or name a district-specific process.
Federal law lets a state write its own evaluation deadline instead of using the national one. What Virginia actually requires is 65 business days.
Write down what you want the school to add, in one page, before you walk into the Reston meeting, because a team that reads your list in advance cannot pretend it never came up.
Virginia gives a school district 65 business days to finish an initial special education evaluation. A written request for an evaluation has to be answered inside 3 business days.
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.
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.
You sign, not the advocate. Consent and the plan itself both need a parent signature.
Video is normal now. 20 of the advocates listed for Reston work with families by phone or video instead of driving to the school.
Experience with Fairfax County Public Schools matters more than the number of years printed on a profile page.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Reston, Virginia, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What do special education advocates charge in Reston, Virginia?
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.
What is the difference between an IEP advocate and a special education attorney?
Two different jobs. The advocate works the IEP process and the attorney works the legal one. If a hearing is already filed, you need the attorney.
Who runs special education for Reston schools?
Most Reston families work with Fairfax County Public Schools. Charter and magnet enrollment can change which agency owes the service, so ask that question before the first meeting.
Are there free IEP advocates in Reston?
No public program assigns you a private advocate. The links under official resources on this page go to the state agency and to the complaint process, and both cost nothing to use.
What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan?
An IEP provides specialized instruction and related services under IDEA. A 504 plan provides accommodations under a civil rights law and does not require specialized instruction. Eligibility rules differ, so a child can qualify for one and not the other.
Official Virginia links for parents in Reston.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same Virginia rules apply in Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Leesburg, Portsmouth and the other cities listed here, or see every Virginia advocate.
Send the same two questions to every advocate you contact in Reston and Harrisonburg. Ask for the rate and for the first date they can meet.
Have the most recent Fairfax County Public Schools progress report open on the first call. It shows whether the goals moved at all.
