Special Education Advocate - Frequently Asked Questions

My daughter, Dylan, was born with a congenital heart defect as one of her earliest challenges in life.  While her heart was just the size of a walnut, she was only 4lbs and too small for the life-saving surgery she needed.  While we waited for the doctors to work their magic to get her to 5lbs, we began to refer to her as our "Hummingbird."   The Hummingbird has the largest heart in the animal kingdom in ratio proportion to body size.  Dylan has had countless heart procedures over the years, and as a beautiful young lady who never sits still, she is still my Hummingbird and my reason "Why" I do all that I do.  The lemnicate (or infinity symbol) is representative of the infinite ways of thinking and being human, and showing it with a spectrum of colors has been adopted by the neurodivergent community as a symbol of acceptance for all.

Clients are families (or students themselves) with known or unknown developmental and intellectual disabilities.  We take students at any level of education, at all ages, and at any stage in the special education process (from identification of eligibility through transition to adulthood). 

We can work with any of the school districts in the state of Texas.  However, we are also part of a vast network of advocates and resources and can refer you if we feel the student would be better served by someone else.

Yes.  The Initial Consultation is a FREE 30 minute Zoom or Phone session to assess the situation in broad strokes after going through the intake forms.

Each and every case is as unique as we all are as individuals.  Depending on where you are in the special education process (from just entering public school age to transitioning into adulthood), a case could range from a simple 1-2 hour consultation to 20 hours or more of detailed research, document preparation, in person/virtual meetings with school personnel, or more lengthy and complex meetings with district administrators.

While I am a licensed attorney in Massachusetts, I DO NOT practice law in the state of Texas.  My experience and training allow me to help you navigate the complex field of special education, but in NO WAY can my advice be construed as legal advice.  Furthermore, I cannot represent you or your child as legal counsel in a lawsuit or in court.

I have a strong passion and commitment to making sure that all students with disabilities are getting their educational needs met. Doing this requires a collaborative team of dedicated individuals all working together to ensure desired student outcomes. Unfortunately, when an attorney comes to the table, it changes the entire dynamic.  If a parent brings an attorney, then the school must bring an attorney, and the focus shifts away from the student.  By the time an attorney is needed, it is usually too late to get the team working together towards the same goal.  I believe that this early intervention is much more important to the student, and therefore this is the focus of my work. My clients get the benefit of my legal background and ability to navigate the technicalities of the law, and the work we do is intended to ensure that we never get to the point where an attorney is necessary.

The field of special education advocacy is vast but also tight-nit here in Houston. If we cannot provide the services that you require, we have many resources that we can share and recommendations of others who might be able to help.