Find an advocate to
fit your family

Paige Ryan

Caregiver Coach

I am a pediatric physical therapist and caregiver coach with over a decade of experience working with children with disabilities, neurodivergent profiles, and complex medical needs. I founded Foundation First Physical Therapy specifically because I kept watching families navigate impossibly complex systems alone — and I wanted to be the person in their corner. My advocacy work lives at the intersection of clinical expertise and systems navigation. I help families understand their child's PT needs, push back on insurance denials, navigate DME and equipment authorization, prepare for IEP meetings from a motor and functional perspective, and make sense of the medical language and recommendations being thrown at them by a team of specialists. What I bring that most advocates don't is the clinical background to speak the language of the providers AND the ability to translate it for families in a way that actually makes sense. I have sat in IEP meetings, written medical necessity letters, filed insurance appeals, and coached caregivers through some of the most overwhelming moments of their lives. I work with families of children with cerebral palsy, autism, rare and complex diagnoses, and medically complex profiles. I am based in Chelmsford, MA but offer virtual support nationwide through my caregiver coaching practice.

Ashley Traylor she/her

Special Education Advocate

I am a non-attorney special education advocate with a master’s degree in special education and nearly two decades of experience supporting students with disabilities and their families. My background includes work as a special education teacher, education consultant, and parent advocate, which gives me a strong understanding of both the school and family sides of the IEP process. I support families with IEPs, 504 plans, evaluations, eligibility, behavior plans, discipline concerns, transition planning, and parent participation in meetings. My goal is to help families feel prepared, informed, and confident while working collaboratively with school teams to address the student’s individual needs. I am also a parent of a child with disabilities, so I understand how emotional and overwhelming the process can feel. I believe families deserve clear information, practical support, and someone beside them who can help translate the paperwork, organize the concerns, and keep the focus on the child. My advocacy style is calm, collaborative, and solution-focused. I help families understand their rights, ask meaningful questions, review documents, prepare for meetings, and communicate concerns clearly and productively.

Kathleen Skeins

Diagnosis & Healthcare Advocate

TBI navigation and caregiving isn't explained in the hospital. I do that here. I'm Kathleen Skeins, Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) and wife of a severe traumatic brain injury survivor. I teach TBI caregivers what no one has time to explain: the medical terms, the decisions, the logistics, the parts nobody prepares you for. No recovery promises. No timelines. Just what you need to know, explained plainly, by someone who's lived it. I know it may feel like it, but you are not alone.

Tina Ayhan

Diagnosis & Healthcare Advocate

I had no experience with speacial needs and had to learn the hard way. My daughter has CP, epilepsy, global development delay. Had surgeries, had status epilepticus, stayed in hospitals for months. Learned to advocate for a non-verbal child while caring for two other kids one younger one older. Later went back to school and got my LMSW degree and now working for LCSW. Working in a psychiatric hospital while raising kids and managing being a full time assistant to my daughter with disabilities.

Leah Wright

Special Education Advocate

Brittany Melara

Special Education Advocate

I believe every child has unlimited potential when they are given the opportunity, support, and the belief that they can succeed. As both a pediatric speech-language pathologist and the mother of a son with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), I have experienced the disability community from both the professional and personal perspectives. I have spent years helping children find their voices while also navigating therapies, medical appointments, education, adaptive equipment, and advocating for my own son. Watching Trevor grow into an honor-roll student, student coach, athlete, employee, and now pursue adaptive driving has reinforced my belief that disability should never define a person’s future. My approach is centered on empowering families, encouraging independence, and helping others see possibilities instead of limitations. I hope to use my experiences to support, encourage, and advocate for families so they feel heard, equipped, and never alone in their journey.

Jamie Kappelmann

Special Education Advocate

Special needs mom to two girls. Both with rare genetic conditions. One by neurological requiring complete care and one with low vision condition.

Maricarmen Aguilar

Special Education Advocate

Hi! My name is Maricarmen! I have two kids Benjamin has 10 years old and Rebecca has 7 years old. Benjamin has citomegalovirus that I passed him when I was pregnant and because of that Benjamin has a lot of diagnosis. As a Mom I’m trying every single therapy or treatment for Benji so I guess I have enough experience to share and also I speak Spanish.

Kathlyn Roffina

Special Education Advocate

I have a physical disability and have lived this life for 31 years. My son and husband have different medical complexities and have been thrown into navigating everything as a parent. I would love to help you feel less alone and help you thrive again.

Jeff Byars

I help patients and families navigate complex healthcare issues, including medical bills, insurance claims and appeals, coverage disputes, and communication with healthcare providers.

Families come to me when they feel overwhelmed by medical bills, insurance denials, coverage problems, confusing healthcare processes, or difficulty getting clear answers from providers and insurers.