Special Education Advocacy

A Clear Plan for Your Child’s Education.

Ask The Advocate helps families understand what their child needs, document the gaps, and move forward with a plan grounded in special education law.

Work With Ask The Advocate
23 yearssupporting families
100+families served
Virtualappointments available
Parent and child working together at a table

Start With Clarity

Your child’s plan should reflect what they need to learn and make progress.

When the school’s plan does not match your child’s needs, it can be hard to know what to ask for or what to do next.

Maureen reviews the records, identifies the gaps, explains the options in plain language, and helps you put your requests in writing.

See How Educational Strategy Works

Choose Your Next Step

What kind of support do you need?

Choose the path that best matches where you are today.

New Families

I need help with my child’s education.

Begin with a paid 30-minute Education Strategy Session. Share what is happening, ask your questions, and leave with clear next steps.

$150 / 30 minutes

This is your initial consultation and the first step toward working together. It does not include a full record review or ongoing case representation.

Book a Strategy Session

Active Clients

I am already working with Maureen.

Open your private HoneyBook portal to review shared files, communication, invoices, and active-client scheduling.

Log In to Your Client Portal

Professionals

I want to refer, train, speak, or partner.

Find the right path for family referrals, team training, speaking requests, partnerships, and therapeutic program consulting.

View Professional Connections

Support Built Around the Student

Turn a stack of records into a clear, written strategy.

Your child’s evaluations, progress reports, prior IEPs, and school communication tell a story. Maureen helps you understand that story and use the documentation to request appropriate support.

  • IEP review
  • Meeting advocacy
  • Placement consultation
  • Written parent requests
  • College counseling
  • BSEA case support
See Who We Help
Children using learning materials at a table

The Advocacy Process

Know where you stand and what comes next.

Maureen works with you through each step, from reviewing the record to putting the right plan in place.

1

Review the full record

Maureen reads the IEPs, evaluations, progress reports, and school communication to identify the strongest facts and the missing pieces.

2

Build the written case

You receive clear guidance on what to request, what documentation supports the request, and how to state the concern in writing.

3

Move the plan forward

Maureen helps you prepare for meetings, respond to proposals, and keep the focus on services and placement that match your child.

Maureen Brown, special education advocate and consultant

For Therapeutic Programs

Give families an honest read on school district funding.

Maureen reviews the student’s education history, evaluations, IEPs, and placement documentation to assess whether the record may support a district-funding argument.

Programs receive a careful case review they can use when speaking with families, without promising an outcome.

View Program Consulting

Meet Maureen Brown, M.S.

An advocate who leads with facts and keeps the child at the center.

Maureen founded Ask The Advocate in 2002 after learning to advocate for her own child. For 23 years, she has helped families understand their options, prepare strong documentation, and ask for the support their children need.

Her work is direct, collaborative, and grounded in special education law.

Read Maureen’s Story
Maureen Brown, founder of Ask The Advocate
IECA member
COPAA member
Special Needs Advocacy Network member
NATSAP member

Family Experiences

What families say about working with Maureen.

★★★★★
“Before I knew it, Maureen had the school on the right track and my daughter got all of the services she needed.”
Colleen Doyle
★★★★★
“She broke everything down into clear letters, graphs, and comparisons, helping me see things I had completely missed.”
Shannon Ryan

Featured Conversations

Read and listen to Maureen’s story.

Maureen Brown featured by CanvasRebel

CanvasRebel

Maureen shares how her personal advocacy experience became more than two decades of helping families.

Read the CanvasRebel feature
Boston Business Women interview with Maureen Brown

Boston Business Women

Maureen talks about supporting families and building stronger education plans for students.

Read the interview

Good Neighbor Podcast

Listen to Maureen discuss her mission and her work championing educational rights.

From the Blog

Plain-language guidance for families.

Read articles about IEPs, placement, special education decisions, and BSEA rulings.

Read More on the Ask The Advocate Blog

Common Questions

What families ask before getting started.

Where does every new family begin?

Every new family begins with a paid 30-minute Education Strategy Session. Maureen hears the concern, answers key questions, and recommends the next step.

Does Ask The Advocate work virtually?

Yes. Most appointments are virtual. Families across Massachusetts and beyond may request support.

Can Maureen attend an IEP meeting?

Yes. Meeting attendance may be part of an advocacy engagement after the initial session and record review.

Can a professional refer a family?

Yes. Share the Educational Strategy page with the family. The family should complete its own information and name the person who referred them.

Does Maureen guarantee funding or placement?

No. Each matter turns on the student’s record and applicable law. Maureen gives a direct assessment without promising an outcome.

Where do active clients schedule calls?

Active clients use their private HoneyBook portal and the scheduling file inside their project.