This is parent coaching: I teach you how to run your child's IEP or ARD meeting yourself, using what I learned as a former special education teacher and campus leader on the school's side of the table. When you need more than coaching, we step in as your advocate.
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Most parents type "special education coach" into Google because that is the phrase that comes to mind first. It is a fair term. But it does not fully describe what most families need when their child is struggling to get the right services, the right evaluation, or the right IEP.
A special education coach typically teaches you skills. A coach might walk you through how to read an IEP, explain what a goal should look like, or help you build confidence going into a meeting on your own. That kind of support has real value, especially for a parent who wants to learn the system for the long haul.
An advocate does something different. An advocate represents you. That means sitting in the ARD or IEP meeting with you, not just before it. It means reviewing the evaluation reports and catching the gaps a parent without a background in special education law is not trained to see. It means knowing exactly which of your child's procedural safeguards under IDEA are being honored and which ones are being quietly skipped. It means drafting the follow-up email that puts a service commitment in writing, so "we'll look into it" cannot quietly disappear.
The IEP Coach was built to be both. The name reflects the plain language most parents search for. The work is full advocacy: a former special education teacher and 504 coordinator who has run these meetings from the school's side of the table and now sits on yours. You get the coaching, meaning you will understand what is happening and why, at every step. You also get someone who can speak the district's own language back to them, ask the questions that get real answers, and push back when a plan is not appropriate.
If you searched for a special education coach because you want your child to actually get what they are entitled to under the law, not just an explanation of what should be happening, an advocate is the role you are looking for. That is what The IEP Coach provides, nationwide, over Zoom, without ever setting foot in a courtroom.
If your family is anywhere in the country and your child has an IEP, a 504 plan, or is going through evaluation (Texas parents can see the deadlines that apply on our Texas special education timelines page), this is the kind of support you can bring into your very next meeting. When you are ready, tell us what is going on and we will map out next steps together.
A special education coach helps you understand the system your child's education runs on and gives you the words to speak up inside it. That means reading evaluations and progress data the way school staff read them, knowing which requests must be made in writing, and walking into a meeting with a plan instead of a knot in your stomach. The IEP Coach goes one step further than advice. We coach you, and when the situation calls for it we act as your advocate: reviewing records, writing to the district, sitting in the meeting with you, and negotiating the services your child is owed. You can read more about that side of the work on our special education advocate page.
Most families who reach out fall into one of three groups. Some are brand new to special education, holding a first evaluation report or a 504 plan and unsure what any of it commits the school to do. If that is you, start with what an IEP actually is. Others have been in the process for years and feel talked over, rushed, or quietly dismissed at every meeting. And some are simply comparing options: do this myself, or bring in outside help. Coaching exists for exactly that decision, because once you understand the process you can tell the difference between a school that is trying and a school that is stalling. When the school is already ignoring the plan on paper, see what to do when the school is not following the IEP.
Pure coaching stops at advice. You get information and preparation, then you carry it into the room alone. Our model is different. Coaching is the foundation, and advocacy is available the moment you need someone at the table with you, speaking on your family's behalf. Alan Driggers is a former special education teacher and behavior specialist and a former 504 coordinator, with master's degrees in special education and educational leadership. He has written IEPs, run ARD and IEP meetings, and made the calls districts make, which is why he can tell you what the school is likely to say before they say it. Texas families also get added depth in the ARD meeting process.
In the first few weeks, the change is concrete. We read the current IEP or 504 plan line by line and mark where goals are vague, where services are thin, and where accommodations were never carried into the classroom. We build a short list of gaps worth pressing on, put the right requests in writing, and prepare you for the next meeting so you know your talking points, your documentation, and your limits before you sit down. Families usually tell us the biggest shift is that meetings stop feeling like something happening to them.
If that is the kind of support you want for your child, the next step is a short conversation about where things stand.
Coaching is for parents who want to understand the system, not just survive it. Together we will cover:
Many families start with coaching. If the situation escalates, your support scales up to full advocacy without starting over with someone new. Learn more on our special education advocate page.
If the school is actively refusing evaluations or not delivering services already written into the IEP, coaching alone is usually not enough. Those situations call for advocacy. Start with our guide on what to do when the school is not following the IEP.
Tell us about your child, the school, and what has happened so far.
We review your situation and agree on a plan: coaching, advocacy, or both.
We build your strategy, prepare you for meetings, and attend with you if needed.
Or call (512) 865-1937. Start with a short intake so we can understand your situation before we talk.
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