SEA Advocate Partners
Trained by Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, these advocates help families navigate IEPs, 504 Plans, and the special education process with clarity, preparation, and confidence.
"When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody." — Karen Mayer Cunningham
Advocacy Backed by Real Training
Karen Mayer Cunningham and the Special Education Academy™ collaborate with dedicated advocates who have been personally trained by Karen. Each SEA Advocate Partner brings hands-on experience, specialized knowledge, and a shared commitment to one goal: successful student outcomes.
You don't know what you don't know — but you need to. These advocates sit at the table prepared, and they help families do the same.
Shannon Mares
Special Education Advocate
Having a daughter with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome ignited Shannon's passion for helping families. She brings compassion, strong communication skills, and deep knowledge to every IEP table, working with families and school districts to build successful outcomes together.
Shannon understands firsthand what it means to navigate the special education system as a parent. That personal experience fuels her ability to connect with families, communicate effectively with school teams, and bring everyone together to create IEPs that truly serve the student. Her collaborative approach helps families feel heard and prepared at every step.
Stephanie Rodriguez-Barnett
Special Education Advocate & Operations Leader
With over twenty years of professional experience, Stephanie is a distinguished operations leader and advocate for special education. Her journey into advocacy began in 2017 when her child was diagnosed with ADHD, expressive language impairment, and multiple learning disabilities.
Married to a military veteran and a mother of three, Stephanie's advocacy is both personal and professional. Her mission is clear: ensure that every child receives a free appropriate public education. She has represented educational interests on Capitol Hill and at the Texas Capitol, and has trained elected officials on special education topics with organizations including the Texas Association of School Boards and the National School Boards Association. As a mother who endured a traumatic brain injury herself, Stephanie brings a unique perspective and fierce determination to her work as an advocate.
Cindy M. Bockleslaugh
Special Education Advocate
Cindy works tirelessly to help children achieve their best life by ensuring they receive the support and opportunities they deserve. She uses excellent communication skills to clearly present each child's unique needs and circumstances.
Cindy's approach centers on making sure every child's story is heard and understood at the IEP table. She is dedicated to ensuring families have a strong voice and that student needs are clearly communicated to school teams. Her advocacy is grounded in preparation, clear documentation, and a genuine commitment to seeing every student succeed.
Rachel Mottern, M.Ed.
Special Education Advocate
Rachel brings both personal and professional experience to her advocacy. Growing up with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and ADHD, she faced real challenges in school until special education services transformed her path. She went on to earn a master's degree from Vanderbilt University.
With nearly a decade of experience as a special education teacher and firsthand insight into living with disabilities, Rachel is deeply committed to ensuring every child receives FAPE. She works to ensure students with disabilities receive the accommodations, modifications, and specially designed instruction tailored to their unique needs. Rachel's advocacy is driven by data-informed decisions that prioritize the best interest of the child, collaborating closely with families, educators, and specialists to develop strategies that lead to successful outcomes.
Lauren Clifton, M.Ed.
Special Education Advocate & Educational Diagnostician
Lauren brings over 17 years of experience in special education across diverse settings, including inclusion, co-teaching, and specialized classrooms serving students with complex academic, behavioral, and medical needs.
Her career began in college as a special education dance instructor, sparking a lifelong commitment to inclusive, student-centered practices. Lauren later taught students with mild/moderate and moderate/severe disabilities in California, trained in crisis prevention, and after moving to Texas, became an educational diagnostician. She holds a master's degree in education with an emphasis in special education and Texas EC–12 special education and diagnostician certifications. Lauren is known for translating complex special education law and assessment data into clear, actionable guidance, ensuring teams move beyond checklists to deliver meaningful, individualized support.
Linda Helton
Special Education Advocate · BS Elementary Education
With over 40 years of experience in elementary education, Linda is a dedicated advocate for students and families. She currently serves as a Board Member for a High School District, committed to expanding resources to meet the diverse needs of every child.
Linda's advocacy is deeply personal. Drawing from experience navigating IEP meetings for a special needs son and supporting two grandchildren in special education, she understands firsthand the challenges families face in ensuring their children's educational needs are met. Her decades of classroom experience combined with her family's journey give her a rare perspective, one that bridges the gap between the educator side and the parent side of the IEP table.
Alan Driggers, M.Ed.
Special Education Advocate, Educator & Systems-Level Problem Solver
Alan is a recognized special education advocate, educator, and systems-level problem solver with extensive experience working with students across a wide range of disabilities, including learning disabilities, ADHD, emotional and behavioral disabilities, and complex support needs.
While he has strong expertise in behavior-related considerations such as FBAs, BIPs, and manifestation determinations, Alan's work spans all core components of special education. He has delivered professional development to educators, school leaders, and multidisciplinary teams, emphasizing practical, defensible practices that lead to improved student outcomes. Alan holds master's degrees in Special Education and Educational Leadership, along with graduate-level training in performance assessment and accountability systems. He is known for analyzing evaluations, data, and district decision-making with clarity and precision, always keeping the focus on student need and educational impact.
Leigh Crawshaw
Special Education Advocate · BS Deaf Education, All Level & General Education K–8 · Certificate in General Special Education
With over 40 years serving students who are deaf and hard of hearing, Leigh brings deep expertise in language access, literacy, and communication. Her own experience, learning to read didn't come easily, shaped the work she does and the families she stands beside today.
With a Bachelor of Science in Deaf Education and General Education, along with certification in General Special Education, Leigh has spent her career helping students access language, build understanding, and discover the power that comes with truly being able to communicate and read. She brings that same commitment into advocacy, standing beside families to ensure their children receive the services, access, and support they are entitled to. Leigh understands both the classroom and the system, and she works to bridge the gap between schools and families, always with the student at the center. Because every child deserves access to language, to learning, and to the world that opens when those connections are made.
Important Information About SEA Advocate Partners
All Advocate Partners associated with Special Education Academy are independent consultants, not employees of Special Education Academy™, Special Education Boss®, or Karen Mayer Cunningham. Each Partner has been personally trained by Karen, has advocacy experience, and comes highly recommended. That said, they operate independently and are individually responsible for their own actions, guidance, and services.
We work with professionals we trust and have confidence in those we've trained. If any questions or concerns come up, they should be addressed directly with the Partner involved. Special Education Academy™, Special Education Boss®, and Karen Mayer Cunningham are not liable for any Partner's individual actions, advice, or services.
Special Education Academy provides education and training, not legal advice or legal representation.
Frequently Asked Questions
SEA Advocate Partners are independent special education advocates who have been personally trained by Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®. They bring real experience navigating IEPs, 504 Plans, and the special education system, and they help families show up at the table prepared, informed, and confident.
No. All Advocate Partners operate as independent consultants. They have been trained by Karen and come highly recommended, but they are individually responsible for their own services and guidance. Special Education Academy does not employ them or oversee their individual advocacy work.
You're in the right place. The SEA Advocate Partners listed on this page have each been personally trained by Karen. Review their backgrounds, experience, and areas of focus to find the right fit for your family's needs.
A special education advocate can help you understand the IEP and 504 process, prepare for meetings, review educational documents and evaluations, understand your rights under IDEA, and work toward successful student outcomes. Advocates educate and support families, they do not provide legal advice or legal representation.
Special Education Academy, led by Karen Mayer Cunningham, provides structured, ongoing education and training, not one-off advice. The Epic IEP™ Academy includes over 300 hours of on-demand training, meets weekly live via Zoom, and gives members access to coaching calls, topic-based training series, and a supportive community. Combined with the EPIC IEP™ 2-Day Advocacy Intensive, the Professional Advocacy Mastermind, and the VIP Advocate Program, the Academy equips everyone at the IEP/504 table with the knowledge and preparation they need to navigate the process and negotiate successful student outcomes.
Ready to Learn, Prepare, and Advocate?
Whether you need an advocate in your corner or you want to become one, Special Education Academy has a path for you. It starts with knowing your rights.
"When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody." — Karen Mayer Cunningham