Serving families throughout California · Virtual consultations available · 1-530-277-4914
Special Education Advocacy

IEP Help for California Families

Dickerson Education Advocates provides special education advocacy and IEP help for California families. We help parents prepare for IEP and 504 meetings, review educational records, understand assessments, and communicate clearly about the support their child needs.

✓IEP & 504 meeting preparation
✓Educational record review
✓Assessment & IEE guidance
✓School safety & bullying concerns
Schedule a Free ConsultationSee How We Help

Parent-centered, non-attorney advocacy focused on preparation, communication, and meaningful participation.

Tell us what’s happening.

Request a free 15–30 minute consultation. We typically respond within one business day.

Dickerson Education Advocates provides non-attorney parent advocacy and educational support, not legal advice or legal representation. Submitting this form does not create an advocate-client or attorney-client relationship.

California FamiliesVirtual support statewide
Parent-CenteredYour concerns stay at the center
Meeting ReadyOrganized priorities and questions
Practical SupportBefore, during, and after meetings
When school gets complicated

Turn confusion into a clear plan.

Families often contact us after months of emails, meetings, reports, and growing concern. We help organize the information and identify the questions that need to be addressed by the school team.

“I don’t know what to ask for.”

We help you identify concerns, review available information, and prepare focused questions and requests for the meeting.

“The reports are overwhelming.”

We help organize educational records, assessments, goals, services, and areas where more information may be needed.

“The meetings move too fast.”

We help you prepare in advance so you can participate more confidently and keep the conversation focused on your child.

“My child isn’t making progress.”

We can help you examine goals, progress information, services, accommodations, and questions for the IEP or 504 team.

“Safety has become a concern.”

We help families organize timelines and written concerns involving bullying, elopement, behavior, or other school safety issues.

“I need help communicating with school.”

We help parents prepare clear, respectful written requests and organize the issues they want addressed.

Advocacy services

Special Education Advocacy, IEP & 504 Support

No two students or school teams are exactly alike. Our work is tailored to the records, concerns, and upcoming decisions in your case.

IEP & 504 Support

Meeting preparation, priority setting, parent concerns, accommodations, goals, services, and follow-up.

Record Review

Review and organization of IEPs, assessments, progress reports, correspondence, and other educational records.

Assessments & IEEs

Help understanding existing assessments, identifying questions, and preparing requests for additional evaluation when appropriate.

Behavior Supports

Preparation around behavior concerns, FBAs, BIPs, regulation supports, and school-based data.

School Safety

Organization of bullying, harassment, elopement, supervision, and disability-related safety concerns for school discussions.

Parent Coaching

One-on-one preparation to help you understand the process, communicate effectively, and make informed educational decisions.

We provide virtual special education advocacy throughout California, including families in Sacramento, Placer County, Nevada County, El Dorado County, Auburn, Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Grass Valley, and surrounding communities.

Our process

Prepared before the meeting. Focused during it.

Our goal is to help you walk into the process knowing what the records show, what matters most, and what questions you want answered.

1

Consult

We learn what is happening, what has already been tried, and what decisions are coming next.

2

Review

We examine relevant records, assessments, services, progress information, and school communication.

3

Prepare

We organize parent concerns, priorities, questions, possible requests, and a meeting strategy.

4

Advocate

When retained for meeting support, we help keep the discussion organized and centered on student needs.

Parent reviewing special education paperwork with a student
You can be an informed member of the team

Bring the conversation back to your child.

Special education can become filled with acronyms, reports, timelines, and competing viewpoints. Preparation can make the meeting more productive and give parents a clearer way to explain their concerns.

  • Know the main issues before the meeting begins.
  • Separate urgent concerns from longer-term priorities.
  • Use records and data to support the questions you are asking.
  • Create a written record of your concerns and requests.
  • Leave the meeting with a clearer understanding of next steps.
Talk With an Advocate
Meet the team

Advocacy with a family-centered perspective.

Dickerson Education Advocates helps families navigate special education with preparation, organization, and respectful advocacy.

Ben Dickerson of Dickerson Education Advocates

Ben Dickerson

Education Advocate

Supports families with case preparation, educational record review, meeting strategy, and parent advocacy.

Morgan Dickerson of Dickerson Education Advocates

Morgan Dickerson, LCSW

Education Advocate · Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Brings a student- and family-centered perspective to communication, behavioral, social-emotional, and school support concerns.

Danielle Dickerson of Dickerson Education Advocates

Danielle Dickerson

Education Advocacy Team

Assists with family support, case organization, preparation, and coordination throughout the advocacy process.

Frequently asked questions

Before you contact us.

Do you work with families anywhere in California?

Yes. Virtual consultations and advocacy support are available to families throughout California.

Can you attend an IEP or 504 meeting?

Meeting support may be available depending on your needs, timing, and the scope of services agreed upon after consultation.

Do I need to know exactly what I want before calling?

No. The consultation is an opportunity to explain what is happening, identify the next important decision, and determine what type of support may be useful.

Are you attorneys?

No. Dickerson Education Advocates provides non-attorney parent advocacy and educational support. We do not provide legal advice or legal representation.

What should I have ready for a consultation?

If available, it helps to know the date of any upcoming meeting and have access to the current IEP or 504 plan, recent assessments, progress information, and important school correspondence.

What does a special education advocate do?

A special education advocate helps families understand records, prepare for IEP or 504 meetings, organize concerns and requests, and participate more effectively in discussions with the school team.

Do I need an advocate for an IEP meeting?

Not every family needs an advocate, but advocacy support can be helpful when the issues are complex, communication has become difficult, progress is unclear, or important decisions about assessments, services, behavior supports, or placement are being discussed.

What is an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE)?

An Independent Educational Evaluation is an evaluation conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the school district. We can help families understand existing assessments and prepare questions about whether additional evaluation may be appropriate.

What if my school refuses services or an assessment?

We can help you organize the records, identify the school’s stated reasons, prepare written questions or requests, and plan for the next IEP or 504 discussion. We provide non-attorney educational advocacy rather than legal advice.

Start with a conversation

Have an upcoming IEP, 504 meeting, or school concern?

Tell us what is happening. We can discuss the situation, your immediate priorities, and whether Dickerson Education Advocates is a good fit for the support you need.

Request a Free ConsultationCall 1-530-277-4914

For urgent emergencies or immediate safety threats, contact the appropriate emergency or school safety personnel.

Phone
1-530-277-4914
Email
info@dickersoneducationadvocates.com
Service Area
Families throughout California · Virtual consultations available
CallFree Consultation