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30 advocates · showing the first 10
PR Paige Ryan

Paige Ryan

Caregiver Coach

Massachusetts 1 yrs experience Remote In person

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.

Preferred Verified Special ed & IEPs Insurance & Medicaid Diagnosis & health +3
Free & paid 20 free slots open
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AT Ashley Traylor

Ashley Traylor she/her

Special Education Advocate

Iowa 19 yrs experience Remote In person

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.

Preferred Verified Special ed & IEPs Insurance & Medicaid Diagnosis & health +4
Paid
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EO Emily O'Sullivan

Emily O'Sullivan

Early Intervention & Infant Mental Health Specialist, Grief Coach

Wisconsin 16 yrs experience Remote

I am a pediatric occupational therapist for 16+ years, trauma-informed grief/parent coach, infant mental health specialist, and certified lactation counselor. I have lived experience as a NICU/medical parent x2, rare diagnosis parent, and bereaved parent. I am passionate about helping families navigate their early experiences with their babies, build bonds and attachment, and manage their own mental health through the hardships of medical parenting, diagnoses, or traumas. I meet families, primarily mothers, virtually or in-person locally.

Verified Early intervention Peer support
Free & paid
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TA

Tina Ayhan

Diagnosis & Healthcare Advocate

New York 5 yrs experience Remote

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.

Verified Diagnosis & health Early intervention Behavioral health +1
Free
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KR

Kathlyn Roffina

Special Education Advocate

Pennsylvania 10 yrs experience Remote

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.

Special ed & IEPs Insurance & Medicaid Diagnosis & health +3
Free & paid
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BM

Brittany Melara

Special Education Advocate

Louisiana 10 yrs experience Remote

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.

Special ed & IEPs Diagnosis & health Early intervention +1
Free & paid
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JK

Jamie Kappelmann

Special Education Advocate

Missouri 10 yrs experience Remote

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

Special ed & IEPs Diagnosis & health Peer support
Free
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E&

Emily & Morgan

Diagnosis & Healthcare Advocate

Montana 3 yrs experience Remote

Grace in the Unexpected is hosted by two moms, that are friends, who live the realities of pediatric brain injury every day. Our perspective is not just informed—it is lived. Between us, we represent both sides of the brain injury journey: one of us parenting a child with an acquired traumatic brain injury (TBI), and the other raising a child with a congenital brain injury. This dual lens allows us to speak with depth and nuance about the wide spectrum of challenges, adaptations, and victories families experience. Emily brings insight into adoption, as well as firsthand experience navigating epilepsy and its complexities within the context of brain injury. Morgan offers extensive knowledge in tube feeding, adaptive equipment, and AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) devices. Both moms are sharing practical guidance for families managing daily medical and communication needs. Together, we explore the full spectrum of cerebral palsy, recognizing that no two children—or journeys—are the same. From higher support needs to more independent mobility, we speak candidly about what it looks like to meet our children where they are and advocate for what they need. Our goal is to create a space where real-life experience meets honest conversation—offering support, education, and connection for families walking similar paths.

Diagnosis & health Early intervention Peer support
Free & paid
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RA Rebeka Acosta

Rebeka Acosta she/her

Pediatric Healthcare Advocate

Las Vegas, Nevada 8 yrs experience Remote

Rebeka Acosta is the first Board Certified Patient Advocate in Nevada, the visionary founder of A+J Patient Advocacy, and co-founder of Act4Kids Nevada. After a 15-year career in healthcare administration, Rebeka welcomed two children to her family with complex medical conditions. She left the workforce and spent nearly a decade navigating the pediatric healthcare system - from insurance to out-of-state care to long-term surgery stays across the country. Her healthcare business background did little to prepare her for this journey and she decided then to share what she had learned. Rebeka returned to the workforce in 2018, earned her Board Certified Patient Advocate credential and was determined to pave a path filled with guidance and resources for families in her community. Within three years she was recognized as the Independent Patient Advocate of the Year in Pediatrics by the Healthcare Advocate Summit and a Vegas Stronger Champion by KTNV Channel 13. Rebeka continued her education and commitment to the community by earning the Community Health Worker designation and co-founding the statewide advocacy group Act4Kids Nevada in 2024. In 2025 she was appointed to the Advisory Board of the Nevada Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics as Patient & Family Advocacy Champion. A+J Patient Advocacy closed at the end of 2025, so Rebeka could manage her son's medical needs. Rebeka lives in the greater Las Vegas area with her family, large number of houseplants, and Great Dane.

Verified Diagnosis & health Transition to adulthood Peer support
Free 2 free slots open
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KS

Kathleen Skeins

Diagnosis & Healthcare Advocate

Michigan 1 yrs experience Remote

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.

Verified Diagnosis & health Early intervention Peer support
Free & paid
View profile

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