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Ashly Barta
Special Education Advocate
Preferred
Ashly is a Preferred advocate. These are the advocates we send families to directly when we make a match by hand.
- Credentials and training reviewed by our team
- Agreed to our family commitments on cost transparency and response time
- Reserves capacity for families referred through SupportNow
- Feedback collected from every family after a match
Why families come to me
I bring both professional experience and deeply personal experience to special education advocacy. As an educator, consultant, and parent, I understand special education from both sides of the table. My greatest lessons in advocacy, however, have come from advocating for my own children, especially my son, who is nonverbal, uses AAC to communicate, and has epilepsy. His journey has taught me how important it is to look beyond a diagnosis, ask difficult questions, navigate complex educational and medical systems, and make sure a child’s needs and abilities are truly understood. I know firsthand how overwhelming it can feel when you are trying to make the right decisions for your child while also learning policies, services, evaluations, and supports. Those experiences shape the advocate I strive to be: knowledgeable, compassionate, collaborative, and willing to ask questions when something doesn’t seem right. My goal is not simply to help families navigate special education, but to help them find their voice, understand their options, and confidently advocate for a child who deserves to be seen, heard, and supported.
Lived experienceParent of a 16 year old with Epilepsy, non speaking aac user
What I help with
Credentials and training
- COPAA / SEAT advocacy training
- Special education teacher / certified
- Former aide or teacher
- Lived experience as a parent / caregiver
SupportNow reviewed documentation for these credentials.
Where I work
Nationwide (military) but mainly Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota
Fees and availability
Free & paid.
