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.

Michelle O'Neil

Supporting parents of children with disabilities/special needs through healthcare navigation, early intervention, and mental/emotional support.

I am both a registered nurse and licensed professional counselor in addition to being an adoptive parent of child with special needs and licensed foster parent. Since I began my nursing career in 2012 and then counseling career in 2021 and motherhood in 2023 I have had a passion for helping those in need, supporting holistic health from a physical, spiritual, and mental/emotional perspective, and working together with whole families. I would love to use my professional and personal skills to support others who are needing an advocate in their corner as they navigate finding and feeling supported in their journey.

Leah Wright

Special Education Advocate

Angel Cayocca

Insurance & Medicaid Advocate

I would love to partner in any capacity. I am the founder of Evalee's Grace Foundation — evaleesgrace.org — a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for and supplying medical equipment and supplies to children and families who have been denied by insurance and cannot afford what they need. In my work as a licensed insurance agent I assist families with Medicaid applications approximately five times per week on average, giving me a deep and practical understanding of the gaps families face when navigating the system. My mission is simple — to help as many children as possible get what they need to live a full and healthy life. I believe advocacy, community, and partnership are how we make that happen and I would be honored to be a part of this group.

Jordan LeVan

Special Education Advocate

I have been practicing IEP advocacy since 2020, and my work is deeply rooted in both professional experience and lived experience. As someone who had an IEP growing up, I understand firsthand what it feels like to navigate the special education system as a student. Today, I advocate alongside families to help ensure students receive the individualized supports, services, and protections they are entitled to under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). My advocacy approach is strategic, collaborative, and always centered on the best interests of the child. I believe every student is unique, so I adapt my approach based on what will be most effective in helping the learner access the services and supports they need. In some situations, that means working collaboratively with the school team to build consensus. In others, it means taking a more firm approach when necessary to ensure the student’s rights are protected and their safety/overall well being. Regardless of the strategy, I remain respectful, solution-focused, and committed to achieving meaningful outcomes for the child and their family.

Kelli Helmer

Special Education Advocate

I am a social worker, care coordinator, non profit creator and a special needs mom x4. A guardian and one heck of an advocate!!

Michelle Mahan

Special Education Advocate

I have lived experience. When parents deal with CPS and custody issues, they're often scared, confused, and mad. Social workers, judge, lawyers don't explain your rights as a parent; they tell you, but don't really help you understand. That's where I come in....I can help you understand from both sides.

Joy Barlean

I work with families in two primary areas of disability advocacy. In Medicaid and HCBS, I help families understand waiver and state-plan services, self-directed services, EPSDT, service options and rights, and how to make well-supported requests for the services they need. I also provide support when services are denied or reduced, including grievances, appeals, and state fair hearings. In special education and school-based advocacy, I help families navigate IEPs and 504 Plans, evaluations, accommodations, behavioral supports, inclusion, placement, and dispute-resolution processes. Across both areas, my approach is family-led: I help families understand their options, build strong documentation and requests, and develop the knowledge and confidence to advocate for themselves—while being there to stand beside them when they need additional support.

Hi, I’m Joy Barlean. I’m a mom and disability advocate who found my way into advocacy by navigating these systems for my own family. What started as learning everything I could about my boys’ needs and rights grew into helping other families navigate systems that can feel incredibly complicated and overwhelming. Today, I focus on Iowa Medicaid and HCBS—including waivers, self-directed services, EPSDT, service requests, denials, and appeals—as well as special education advocacy, including IEPs, behavioral supports, inclusion, accommodations, and dispute resolution. I bring both lived and professional experience, including work as an Independent Support Broker and service on several Iowa disability and Medicaid advisory groups. My goal is ultimately to work myself out of a job by giving families the knowledge, tools, and confidence to advocate for themselves—while also being there to stand beside them when they need the support of someone who has walked in their shoes.

Annie Lalish

Patient Advocacy aimed at helping elderly folks and their families navigate healthcare, housing transitions and end-of-life.

I was a caregiver for my Mom who had Parkinson's, and also stepped in as an advocate for her. I helped my parents navigate finances in regards to long term care, housing transitions between apartments, assisted living, adult family homes and skilled nursing. I also learned a lot about Medicare and Medicaid through my experience. I'm looking to assist older folks and their family members who may be trying to navigate everything for them and balance their own lives. I wish I knew about patient advocates when I was handling all of these things for my Mom! I'm also hoping to educate adult children who have aging parents on issues that may arise for their parents.