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.

Kelly Bell

As a special education, non-attorney advocate, I help parents understand, question, and strengthen their child's IEP.

I taught special education for nearly 30 years, working with students who had academic, emotional, and behavioral needs. As an IEP case manager, I led the meetings. Now I sit on the family’s side of the table. I know how districts build an IEP and where the gaps show up. My paralegal training taught me to read documents line by line and notice what’s missing: a goal with no baseline, a service reduced without explanation, present levels that don’t describe the child you know. I explain the process in plain language, prepare parents for meetings, and help them ask for a plan that fits what their child needs. When families come to me for help funding equipment or therapy, I start with the question I know best: should the school be providing this? Some devices and services belong in the IEP. For the rest, I help families find the right grants and build a fundraiser that works.

Ashly Barta

Special Education Advocate

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.

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.

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.

Mary Beth Patton

Special Education Advocate

I am a mother of a 19 year old that receives special education and a younger daughter that receives special education. Before my oldest was born I was a para educator finished my degree and was a special education teacher. Certified in all areas in my state. I have been an advocate for other families for many years have been a professional advocate with an LLC for a year.

Amanda Bailey

Special Education Advocate

I am an educational advocate with more than 18 years of experience supporting students, families, and schools. As a former special education teacher, case manager, and educational consultant, I help families understand their rights, navigate the special education process, and collaborate effectively with school teams. My approach is compassionate, solution-focused, and centered on building positive relationships while ensuring every child receives the support they need to succeed. I believe parents should feel informed, empowered, and confident throughout their educational journey, and I am committed to helping families find practical solutions that put students first.

Maureen Brown

Special Education Advocate

I am a results orientated experienced Advocate, I find the right fit program, and I advocate for the appropriatte supports and services for every client.

Dr. Shelesha Taylor

Special Education Advocate

Leah Wright

Special Education Advocate