I’m Kristen, Your Friendly Neighborhood Advocate

If you've ever sat in an ARD meeting, a 504 meeting, or any school conference and felt like the only person in the room who didn't have a script—you're in the right place.

I started advocating the way most of us do: out of necessity. My daughter was diagnosed with ADHD at age four, after being asked to leave two preschools. She entered kindergarten on an IEP. By first grade, once her medication was dialed in, I suspected there was more to her story, and I was right. She qualified for the gifted and talented program. She is a twice exceptional student—one of many kids whose giftedness masks their disability, or whose disability masks their giftedness.

What followed was a decade learning how to navigate a system that wasn't designed with kids like her in mind. I learned how to read evaluations, push back on accommodation denials, and challenge schools that tried to use her good grades as evidence she didn't need support. When the schools didn’t listen, I learned to escalate—strategically, not emotionally. I’ve filed grievances. I’ve requested FIEs. I’ve sat across from principals and APs and held my ground.

I also hold a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and was a classroom teacher. I know how schools think, because I've been on that side of the table too.

Today I'm a COPAA-trained non-lawyer special education advocate serving families in the League City and greater Houston area. While I specialize in twice exceptional students, ADHD, and Dysgraphia, I work with students across a range of disability profiles and am proud to support any family navigating a system that hasn’t fully seen or served their child yet.

I've helped families get FIE requests approved after wrongful denials. I've sat in ARD meetings and watched schools reverse eligibility determinations they were certain about walking in. I know what families are entitled to under federal and state law, and I know how to advocate for those rights effectively — without burning the bridges your child still has to cross every day.

When you work with Your Friendly Neighborhood Advocate, you don't just get someone who knows the system. You get someone who has lived it, and who genuinely believes your child deserves to be seen for everything they are.