Special Education Advocacy, IEP & Evaluation FAQs
RHM Education Consulting provides special education advocacy, IEP and 504 support, and private psychoeducational evaluations for K–12 students. Dr. Rachel H. Meyer is based in the Denver metro area, serves families anywhere in Colorado, and also works with families outside Colorado.
Explore answers about school support, evaluations, service packages, and getting started. The school-process explanations below describe public-school processes.
Special Education Advocacy and School Support
What does a special education advocate do?
A special education advocate helps families understand their child’s educational needs, navigate school processes, and request appropriate support.
At RHM Education Consulting, Dr. Meyer reviews school records and evaluations, explains educational processes and rights, and helps parents identify questions and priorities. Depending on the service package, support can also include preparing for and participating in IEP or 504 meetings and following up afterward.
What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan?
An IEP, or Individualized Education Program, is developed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for a student who meets its disability eligibility criteria and needs specially designed instruction. It outlines educational goals, instruction, services, and accommodations.
A Section 504 plan describes accommodations and services a qualifying student needs to access education and have their educational needs met. Section 504 eligibility is broader than IDEA eligibility, and its support is not limited to accommodations.
RHM helps families understand the differences and prepare for the school’s evaluation and eligibility process.
Learn more from the U.S. Department of Education about IDEA eligibility and Section 504.
Can you help if my child does not already have an IEP or 504 plan?
Yes. Families can seek educational consulting before a child has an IEP or 504 plan.
RHM can help you organize your concerns, review available school records, and prepare to discuss an evaluation or additional support with the school. You do not need to know which type of plan your child may need before contacting RHM.
What if my child has an IEP or 504 plan but is still struggling?
RHM can review your child’s plan, evaluations, and available progress information to help identify concerns. These may involve educational goals, services, accommodations, or how the plan is being carried out.
Dr. Meyer helps you organize questions and recommendations for discussion with the school team.
Will you attend IEP or 504 meetings with us?
Yes. Participation in a school meeting is included in RHM’s Advocacy and Premium Advocacy packages, within their allocated hours. Premium Advocacy adds more in-depth meeting preparation and follow-up.
Dr. Meyer helps you review relevant documents, identify priorities, and prepare for the discussion, then participates in the meeting and provides follow-up consultation. If meeting attendance is a priority, mention it during your initial consultation so it is included in the agreed scope of services.
Do you provide legal advice or therapy?
No. RHM provides educational consulting, advocacy, and assessment. Its services do not include legal advice, medical diagnosis, psychotherapy, or psychiatric treatment.
Dr. Meyer can explain educational processes and help you prepare for school discussions. A special education attorney can advise you on legal disputes and legal options.
Private Psychoeducational Evaluations
What is a psychoeducational evaluation?
A psychoeducational evaluation combines testing, interviews, and records to explain how a student learns, where they are struggling, and what educational support may help.
Depending on the referral concerns, an evaluation may examine cognitive abilities, reading, writing, math, attention, executive functioning, memory, processing speed, adaptive skills, and social-emotional functioning. The assessment is tailored to the questions being explored; not every evaluation includes every area.
What does the evaluation process include?
RHM’s evaluation process typically includes parent and student interviews, a review of school records and previous evaluations, standardized testing, and parent and teacher rating scales.
Testing may take place over one or more appointments, with breaks as needed. After scoring and interpretation, you receive a written report and a feedback consultation to discuss the findings and recommendations.
Can you evaluate learning difficulties such as dyslexia?
Yes. RHM provides educational assessments of learning difficulties, including concerns related to dyslexia.
Depending on your child’s needs, testing may examine reading, writing, math, and related learning skills. Findings help explain your child’s strengths and difficulties and guide recommendations for instruction and school support.
Can you assess concerns about ADHD?
RHM’s educational evaluations can examine attention, executive functioning, and school difficulties associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Findings guide educational recommendations and school support. Before testing begins, RHM will clarify the questions the evaluation will address and the limits of its educational scope.
Do you diagnose autism?
No. RHM does not provide autism diagnoses.
An educational evaluation can help identify your child’s learning and school-support needs, but it does not replace an autism diagnostic evaluation. Families seeking an autism diagnosis should consult a qualified diagnostic provider.
Will my child’s school consider a private evaluation?
Under IDEA, a school district must consider a private evaluation you share if it meets the district’s criteria, when making decisions about your child’s free appropriate public education.
Considering the evaluation does not mean the school must adopt every recommendation or automatically find your child eligible for an IEP. RHM’s report provides findings and educational recommendations you can bring to the school team for discussion.
Can the school district pay for an independent educational evaluation?
In some cases, yes. If you disagree with an evaluation obtained by your school district, you may request an independent educational evaluation (IEE) at public expense.
Under IDEA, the district must, without unnecessary delay, either provide the IEE at public expense or request a due process hearing to show that its evaluation was appropriate. Applicable evaluator qualifications and other criteria also matter.
For district-funded work, RHM requires written confirmation of the approved scope and payment arrangements before services begin.
Learn more about independent educational evaluations under IDEA.
What will I receive after the evaluation?
You receive a written report explaining the findings, their educational meaning, and recommendations for supporting your child. A feedback consultation gives you time to ask questions and discuss how to use the results.
You can share the report with your child’s school and other providers. Additional help applying the recommendations or participating in school meetings is available through the appropriate consulting or advocacy package.
How long does a psychoeducational evaluation take?
The evaluation timeline depends on the assessment’s scope, appointment availability, and receipt of records and rating scales. Contact RHM for current availability and an estimated schedule for testing, the report, and the feedback consultation.
If you have an upcoming school meeting or another deadline, mention it during your initial consultation so timing can be discussed before services begin.
Where does testing take place?
Testing arrangements depend on the assessment being planned and your location. Contact RHM to discuss where and how your child’s testing can be completed.
Consultations and feedback meetings can take place in person or by secure video. Those options do not necessarily mean that every part of an evaluation can be completed remotely.
Consulting and Advocacy Packages
What service packages does RHM offer?
RHM offers three levels of consulting and advocacy support for K–12 students and their families:
Consulting — up to 5 hours: Focused guidance that includes a parent consultation, review of school records and an existing IEP or 504 plan, educational consultation and parent guidance, a written recommendations summary, and a follow-up consultation.
Advocacy — up to 10 hours: Support understanding your child’s educational needs and navigating the school system. Includes a parent intake and interview, educational records review, guidance on educational rights, educational recommendations, parent consultation, and participation in a school meeting.
Premium Advocacy — up to 15 hours: Everything in Advocacy, plus a detailed IEP or 504 documentation review, parent advocacy consultation, in-depth school-meeting preparation, and follow-up consultation after the meeting.
Your free 30-minute initial consultation helps identify which package fits your family’s needs. The agreed services and scope are documented in writing before work begins.
Can I arrange an evaluation without purchasing an advocacy package?
Yes. Comprehensive psychoeducational testing is available as a standalone service or can be added to any Consulting, Advocacy, or Premium Advocacy package.
Testing includes assessment administration, scoring, interpretation, a written report, and a feedback consultation. Combining testing with a package provides additional support for understanding the findings and using them in school planning.
How are package hours used?
Package hours cover the services provided, including email, phone calls, and text messages. Travel time also counts toward the total hours.
Unused hours expire one year after services begin. Additional support beyond the package’s allocated hours is billed separately.
How do I choose a service package?
Start with the kind of help your family needs. Consulting offers focused review and guidance. Advocacy provides more time for parent education, recommendations, and help navigating school processes, and includes participation in a school meeting. Premium Advocacy adds a detailed IEP or 504 review, in-depth meeting preparation, and follow-up.
If you also need a clearer picture of your child’s learning needs, testing can be arranged separately or added to a package. Dr. Meyer can help you discuss these options during the free 30-minute initial consultation.
Working With RHM Education Consulting
Who is Dr. Rachel Meyer?
Dr. Rachel H. Meyer is a school psychologist with a PhD in Educational Psychology and Special Education from Temple University and more than 25 years of experience in education.
She has worked in public, charter, and online schools, directed a college disability office, and coordinated disability services at a Colorado Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). She brings that experience to helping families understand evaluations and navigate school support.
What ages and grade levels do you serve?
RHM serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade and their families. Services include educational consulting, special education advocacy, IEP and 504 support, and private psychoeducational evaluations.
What areas do you serve?
RHM is based in the Denver metro area and serves families anywhere in Colorado. Families outside Colorado are welcome too; consultations and feedback meetings can take place by secure video.
The available appointment format depends on the service and your location. Contact RHM to discuss consultation, school-meeting, and testing arrangements for your family, especially if you live outside Colorado.
Do you meet in person or online?
Both. Consultations and evaluation feedback meetings can take place in person or by secure video.
Discuss your location and preferences during the initial consultation so appropriate arrangements can be made. Testing arrangements are discussed separately based on the assessment being planned.
Do you take insurance?
No. RHM does not bill insurance. Families generally pay directly for services.
RHM also accepts district-funded independent educational evaluations when the scope and payment arrangements are confirmed in writing before work begins.
What should I have ready for the free consultation?
Be ready to describe your main concerns, your child’s grade, and any upcoming school meetings or deadlines. If available, have your child’s current IEP or 504 plan and recent evaluations nearby to help guide the conversation.
You do not need an existing school plan or a complete set of records to make an initial inquiry. The consultation is a starting point for discussing your concerns and whether RHM’s services fit your family’s needs.
How do I get started?
Contact RHM Education Consulting to schedule a free 30-minute consultation. Call 983-333-1161 or email rachel@rhm-edconsulting.com.
RHM makes every effort to respond within two business days.