Leigh was truly a game-changer for our IEP triennial meeting. It was the first IEP meeting that was a collaborative effort, and didn't feel like we were on oppositional sides with the IEP team. She really set the tone from the beginning and signaled collaboration. She also held the team accountable to how they wrote IEP goals and made sure they truly supported our kiddo. For once, we finally got most of the supports our child needs, but it also felt effortless because Leigh is such an incredible IEP family coach and professional. A Million Stars, if I could give them. She made all the difference for our child. read more

Taylor is the best special education advocate l've ever worked with. She is kind, compassionate and patient. Not to mention so incredibly knowledgeable. She made it feel easy and doable to navigate the San Jose Ca school system for my son. She's the person you want on your side in IEP meetings . Thank you Taylor! read more

I had a disappointing experience with Leigh. When I asked for clarification on email charges, as the number she billed was significantly higher than what I had on record, she terminated our contract. Her response seemed to imply that questioning her billing practices was unacceptable. Typically, any service provider would help explain their charges, but Leigh made no effort to do so, instead citing "differences in goals and focus" as her reason for ending our agreement. It felt like as long as I didn't question the bills, our goals were supposedly aligned, which is unreasonable for any parent working with a school advocate. Leigh's professionalism and empathy towards families with special needs children were lacking. Her services are costly, at $200 per hour and $25 per email, and we were careful to minimize our communication due to budget constraints. Over two weeks, she sent only three non-IEP scheduling emails (one of which is resending the contract), yet she billed for 14. When I provided proof, showing that only three emails should have been billed, she did not address my concerns. From the outset, there were signs of her lack of professionalism. During our first call, she abruptly cut me off when our time was up, without allowing me to finish my sentence. In the IEP meeting, she unnecessarily announced our private side chat to the school team, creating unnecessary tension. Moreover, she showed a lack of knowledge about my child's issues and needs, despite charging for reviewing all relevant documents. Leigh might claim we had differences in goals and focus; to be clear, I didn't hire an advocate to scrutinize bills; I hired one to support my child's education. Unfortunately, Leigh's approach was more about money than meaningful advocacy. I hope she improves her practices for the sake of other families. Update 5/20/2024: in response to her comment. Leigh, you terminated the contract after I pointed out that you charged for too many emails. It had nothing to do with space or misunderstanding. I only saw your initial comment and the current one, which are very different, but Yelp notified me that you've changed your comments five times. If you truly have hundreds of families to support, why spend so much time altering your response repeatedly in an attempt to obscure the issue? Additionally, you required a $1600 payment upfront, so you've already received the money. That time would be better spent providing meaningful advocacy for families. read more

I posted a while back about how pleased I (and my family) are with Aspire Advocacy. I was moved to add an update today. As always, our families do better at some times than at others. We hit a bit of a rough patch recently, and the response from Aspire was immediate and incredibly helpful. No amount of effort was spared on our behalf, and once again we are sailing smoothly. Thank you, again, for being in our corner. read more

Leigh has a Unprofessional demonear. I ended up canceling before she could even join an IEP meeting. I found her to have a Lack of empathy, and respect. Parents with special needs need to feel empowered and have a positive experience with the person advocating for their child. If i had a lack of knowledge in something she should educate me in a professional manner vs be little me etc i don't want to go into details but i can honestly say i found her to be very offensive and unprofessional. Parents of special needs children seek advocacy to ensure their child receives appropriate support, to navigate complex systems, to protect their child's rights, and to find emotional support and empowerment in their journey as parents. My short experience with Leigh was terrifying. It's best to seek other great organization for guidance. Like Parents helping parents, or a legal attorney. TIP: tread with caution. Update: given her response back and she used an implied statement "some parents prefer a much more contentious approach" is a perfect example of making assumption and being catty. I would tell Yelp users your exact words in our intake process phone call. However, i rather give you constructive feedback. Please, take the time to listen to your clients, be kind and professional.This is what Yelp is for to give the owners a visual of their feedback. Its always good for business to hold accountability and be empathetic. read more

Don't go there. Leigh take me for granted. I was tricked twice. I paid $1600 for emails and no services. This is ridiculous. Oh I was sending a lot of emails , by the way advocate sits with the client face to face to discuss what will go on the IEP. I never heard of advocate charging for email and not replying back. Then she sent me a retainer for 00.00. Then say I'm sorry but you used for too much emails hello! I hired you not you hired me. I need to say what would my concern be on the the meeting. I never seen this in my life. Taking me for granted and my weakness of my special need child. The worst thing saying my son doesn't know anything. Yes that's why I hired you to help me not to slaughter me and take my money away. What a shame. Be careful for fraud. This is not true, advocate don't do that. I'm just telling you my problems, I didn't tell you to solve them. What goes on the IEP is different is what I'm saying to you, you should have symphony and know the challenge of mother's with special need.. We discussed over the phone but you send an email saying something else that you can't do but I didn't tell you that. after we discussed everything . And blocked me and that's not professional. This shows a lack of experience. read more

I've seen Leigh at work many times over the years! Her work for Aspire is always done with passion, compassion, and extreme attention to detail! I personally have recommended her to any of my friends who could use her services and they have been happy that I did so. If you're looking for advocacy for your child you really can't do better than Aspire. read more

My family and I have had a wonderful experience with Leigh as our advocate. My mom and I were trying to navigate my brothers IEP meetings by ourselves. Even though we always went in with a game plan we were unable to get the services my brother needed to succeed in school. We simply did not know what to do. My mom heard of Leigh's great work with one of my brothers peers and we reached out to her. Leigh is a great listener and did a wonderful job of hearing what our goals are for my brother and explaining how we can get there. Since the first IEP meeting Leigh attended she advocated for my brother and got the school to finally listen and take action in improving his IEP. We are blessed that after various IEP meetings with Leigh at our side my brother is finally in an environment suited for him and we are happy with the direction his education is heading in. We will continue to have Leigh with us as long as she'll have us, her knowledge of IEPs has been very valuable to our family and to my brothers continued success. If you are tired of navigating IEP meetings alone and want someone knowledgeable in your corner I highly recommend Leigh! Thank you Leigh for all you do!! read more

Leigh Monichon la mejor advocate, a sido de gran bendición para nuestra familia por su excelente trabajo. Ella a abogado por mi hijo por 6 años y a logrado que mi hijo reciba una educación de calidad, con los servicios y acomodaciones que mi hijo nesecita. Recomiendo 100% por su excelente trabajo y profesionalismo read more

I could not be more grateful or pleased with the work Leigh provides in advocating for my son in his IEP meetings. Things went sideways this year with a change in staffing at his public school and there were so many issues it felt insurmountable. No one at the school listened to me anymore, and things were a bit contentious and gridlocked when I finally called in Leigh, who came highly recommended from another sped mom. Best decision ever. When we initially hired her, she reviewed my student's previous IEP test scores and was able to offer insight and feedback that the school had never taken the time to share in depth. Reading the raw test scores and curved percentages is it's own language. I feel well informed now and this part alone made me regret not hiring an advocate sooner as I realized the advantages of having someone on "my side" of the table interpret the data for me and ask clarifying questions. Leigh is professional, congenial, and compassionate while also being direct and to the point. From the minute she became involved the whole IEP process shifted. She is also not afraid to put pressure on the school and ask uncomfortable questions. She assisted me in writing statements, questions, strategizing, and refusing components of our latest IEP. She is very knowledgeable in how IEPs work and what are reasonable expectations. I had so many questions and she could answer every one of them. I have been recommending her to every parent and professional I know. Thanks to her advocating and mediating in the IEP process the two issues that had left us at an impasse were resolved quickly and in our student's best interest. Our son's education needed to change to meet his needs, and keep him in the least restrictive environment. Leigh knew exactly how to speak the school's language and keep the ball moving. It would not be an overstatement to say I sleep better at night ever since I hired her to advocate on our behalf. Leigh is a gift to families with IEP students. What she provides our students is invaluable. read more

In the end I felt like I was having to advocate for my child to the person who was supposed to be their advocate. When I questioned what types of emails I was being charged for (after she cancelled a meeting last minute and we had to go back and forth with more emails) she became very upset. I've never had a service charge for administrative emails like scheduling or for clarification. When I obtained an out of pocket IEEE which showed a different diagnosis from the school, she was reluctant to go back to the school with it and was basically like "well, you can try but it prob won't do anything." My last email to her asked a question about a 504 and she merely responded with two links and asked me to self serve the answer. Not exactly what you want to hear from someone who is supposed to be on your side. I'm sure she will say that she was trying to save me money from emails, but why not just answer the question before pointing to the resources since I'm likely being charged for the email anyway? In the end, I just felt like it was another person I was having to battle to get my son what he needs. I'm glad to hear others had a different experience but I'd take seriously those people who mention similar stories to mine. read more

Leigh is an exceptional IEP advocate and quite frankly inspirational and ethical human being. Her vast knowledge and special education expertise are only rivaled by her compassion & perspective in what is truly best for your child. We had a complex situation wrapped around a red tape issue. Leigh asked relevant and appropriate questions, gave me examples from her own experience and opened my eyes to another possible solution. She also gave me unsolicited permission to do what was right for my family and myself as a whole, not just my child. No one has ever considered all of us before. Yep, that's it. If speed dial was still a thing, Leigh would be number 1! Highly recommend (and am truly grateful for professionals like her!). Thank you Leigh for the impact you have made on my family and countless others! read more

I have worked with Leigh on both sides of the table as a teacher in the public school setting and as a private Educational Therapist. I have found her to be collaborative, fair and very child focused. She maintains great relationships with school districts and supports families through the IEP process. Leigh is very knowledgeable, professional and articulate. read more

Taylor has been incredible and the greatest support. For almost 10 years, I've struggled and battled in IEPs alone. It was time for someone else on our team. It is such a huge relief to have that person be Taylor. She has been the most supportive, compassionate and authentic advocate for us. She truly cares and goes above and beyond. She is extremely knowledgeable of the system, she is professional and warm and knows how to communicate in the way you need with the schools. Most importantly, she is honest and I can trust she will always give her honest feedback with my sons well being as her top priority. Our case is not done, but I just had to give credit to the effort she's put forth so far for us. I highly recommend her. read more

I worked with Leigh Monichon for many years, prior to my retirement. Leigh has always been a very strong and caring advocate for people who have developmental disabilities and their families. Securing needed services for children is a difficult maze for most parents to navigate. Leigh represents the children and their parents in navigating the maze to successfully receive the proper services to help the child thrive and learn. It is great to know that Leigh continues to help so many children and their families! read more

Leigh was an outstanding advocate for our daughter's educational needs. It was clear she had the school districts play book down to a T and was able to navigate the bureaucracy to get our daughter the help she needed and was entitled too in order to fully access her education. She had great knowledge of state testing results and the actual meanings of the somewhat distorted curves used. There is no way we would have gotten to where we are without her knowledge and strategies. No one could have done a better job for our daughters education, Leigh was our savior and we can't thank her enough for what she was able to accomplish for us navigating through a school district. I give her my highest recommendation! You won't find anyone better. Zach Sohns read more

If there was a rating for 10+ stars, this is the rating that I would give Leigh Monichon. If I knew "then" what I know now, we would have hired Leigh 4 years ago. After 4 years of crying through IEP's, sleepless nights, homeschooling, countless difficult discussions with various schools in our district, we finally feel like we have someone in our court that "gets it" and will help alleviate the stress of navigating through the difficulties of advocating for our ASD son in the public school setting. Leigh is an ultimate professional and she knows just how to work with schools and parents to create a collaborative relationship, which ultimately benefits the child. Don't hesitate in hiring Leigh. As my husband stated, "this is the best money we've ever spent." read more

Leigh is very professional and kind. She responds quickly and answers our questions patiently. She was willing to listen to our requests and promised to do her best to achieve our goal. With her help, we were able to secure the support we wanted for our child. She is an excellent advocate. We know that IEP meetings can be conducted remotely or in-person. If the budget allows, an in-person meeting is a great choice because Leigh has a good personality that can quickly build connections with everyone involved, facilitating cooperation across the negotiation table. read more

Ok, where to start...If you are looking for an educational advocate that means you are where I was 6 years ago (or at an even lower point) - which is basically rock bottom. You are scared, frustrated, angry, sad and at a COMPLETE loss at what to do to help your child. Do me a favor and hire Leigh. When I say she has been LIFE CHANGING for my 2 children and myself, I mean that. She was solely responsible for getting my 11 year old into the NPS school that he desperately needed and was the perfect fit for. She has been by my side through the lowest of lows and highest of high and celebrates those highs right alongside me. She fights for what is best for my children (not what is best for the district). She is a true subject matter expert on special education and you will never look back once you have Leigh on your team, fighting for you and your child. I mean it when I say she is seriously the best and I am so incredibly thankful for her and her services. At the end of the day, if your child needs an IEP, essentially you are riding a scary, bumpy rollercoaster but with Leigh by your side, it becomes much less bumpy and scary. read more

Leigh is an amazing IEP & 504 advocate & has helped us navigate this world on several occasions. She helps us understand our child's rights under these protections & goes out of her way to educate us & help us feel more confident in this process. She is also just an amazing person & human being & we couldn't be more grateful for our experience with her! read more

I have worked with Leigh Monichon of Aspire Advocacy for the last eight years. I find her invaluable. In our time together, we have faced educator teams with little experience, teams who will negotiate, and teams so archaic in their thinking you wonder why they are in the profession. Leigh has the experience and unique set of skills to handle each type. It was intimidating the first time I sat across a table from a large education team; it was just me, an inexperienced parent. Taking in the educational jargon and testing results while trying to represent my child's best interests quickly became overwhelming. In hiring Leigh, I felt heard for the first time. I felt prepared. Leigh educates her clients on the process in a straightforward manner making it easy to understand. She explained what an IEP/504 would mean for my kids, managed expectations of the process, and the extent of her services. Most importantly, it's a team effort. Leigh creates a positive collaborative environment. In addition, her extensive experience in special education lends to her ability to ask the best questions to help me focus on my objectives and find my voice during a meeting. She is a master at meeting management, IEP/504 goal writing, and negotiations. Leigh works from a place of serving children's needs, never from ego. She understands it is not about her or me but about helping my children succeed in school. read more

This business was a waste of time and almost $2000 for us. That money should have gone to the expensive services my son needs. I was referred to Leigh by someone who herself was a disappointment (an academic therapist who missed many agreed deadlines) so I should have known better, except it gave me some reassurance that Leigh criticized that person. Beware the cottage industry of moms of special needs children offering "services" to others they know are vulnerable and stressed out, for a king's ransom - in this case $190 per hour plus $23 per email including those they generate themselves that are unnecessary. She burned through almost $2000 in a month and a half and it was clear she didn't remember anything about my child and only relied on a quick skim of her "database" inputs before our IEP meetings. She has you fill out a series of questions and submit documents which gives the feeling she will actually get to know your child, when all it is is a tool she uses to maximize the number of children she can charge by skimming their info minimally before a meeting. I got the feeling she takes on a lot of children and this is a real moneymaking enterprise for her, and does not dive deep on the case. To be honest Leigh was hard to deal with from the start - cold, uncongenial, money focused - but I was persuaded by the five star reviews and Leigh's statements that she wrote great IEP goals, would be an "advocate" and would know the ins and outs of my child's needs. That's why I'm going deep here, because we didn't have anything like the experience others describe. Before I even hired her she insisted on $300 just to speak with her about whether she could offer us any help, because I used up my freebie 20 minutes the prior school year when my kid was in a very different situation than he was when I was considering hiring her the year before. (and she reminded me repeatedly that we had "gone over" by a few minutes during the freebie the prior year). I paid the $300 for a conversation in which she assured me she'd be a strong advocate, would use appropriate legal terms during IEP meetings to set the necessary record for our desired outcome, wrote fantastic IEP goals, would know my child's needs and details in and out. Then I paid her $1520 retainer. She burned through it all in about a month. She was not an effective advocate by any means, in 2 IEP meetings and preparation for them. I ended up writing goals myself - twice - because she just sent questions about school drafted goals quickly jotted on paper and that was it. She spent a portion of each individual meeting with me talking about a lot of other kids and her own (who she repeatedly said had much worse problems than mine which made me feel she didn't take our needs seriously), and despite all her extraneous storytelling, she charged me for every fraction of minute she went "over." She contradicted me during the IEP meetings and supported the district dropping goals they themselves had proposed and we had spent many hours negotiating over months. She was no advocate, but seemed to think she was a mediator when that is not what she was hired to do or advertised, and clearly did not know our case well enough to advise me what to keep or drop or why. She texted me during the meeting and then I had the audacity to send a response a little while after the meeting ended, at which point she informed me I was not allowed to communicate with her that way "outside" meeting hours - something she'd never said before - I'm able to follow rules, but she can be really rude. I was STILL willing to give her another chance even after she insisted I pay another $7 to the first $1520 retainer because she's that nit picky and un-self aware. Seriously it's all about money, no compassion whatsoever. She then insisted on another retainer with just a few days' notice on the eve of a holiday - which would have brought her total payment up to almost $3500 within a month and a half period. She's not a lawyer and I can't even see where she has training sufficient to justify her rates. I asked that we have a conversation about how things had been going and how we could row in the same direction from now on -- but I said that it should not be billed. She immediately terminated saying there were too many nonbillable emails taking her time without compensation (about scheduling or billing, which she cannot charge for). She wanted another retainer so she could charge me for a conversation about issues we were having with her performance. Mind you, she'd been paid $2000 in a month and a half, was asking to bring it to $3500 and would not have a conversation about how it was going. Feeling totally ripped off but glad I don't have to deal with her any more. It's not good to have a feeling of foreboding and actively avoiding dealing with your own "advocate." JUST NO. **I'd like to know what is "inaccurate" about my comments - all is in emails / recordings of IEPs. read more

Leigh is an amazing advocate. If you need a rundown or have hesitation for working with Aspire-- please understand the system for IEPS or dealing with the governing bodies is extremely hard to navigate for the average person (esoteric comes to mind). You need to have someone in your corner that is incentivized to get the best possible outcome for your child, and those people are at Aspire. They changed my families life and do amazing work. I can't recommend Aspire enough. read more

Leigh is an angel sent from above! She's the strong momma bear that will stand up for you and your child. As a full-time widowed working mom with a special needs child, time and strength is extremely limited. When I was forced into a battle with the oak grove school district (which by the way is by far the worst district I have had to deal with) Leigh came to my rescue with a plan that immediately took weight off of my shoulders. Unfortunately due to covid-19 the process has slowed down but even behind the screen Leigh continues to fight for my son and I. I absolutely love her! Thank you from the bottom of my heart Leigh, you're amazing!! read more

This was a lifesaver for me. I hired Leigh to attend my son's IEPs with me and we started actually getting somewhere! She knew what to ask for - and how to ask - and it really turned things around. I would definitely recommend her and Aspire to anyone having trouble with their own school district. Seriously, if you need help, don't be afraid to call. Thanks again, Leigh! read more

If you'd like real support for your child's education, I'd recommend Aspire Advocacy. Coming from someone who works at a school district in California, I know that we don't always give all the information to parents. I always will encourage parents to get an advocate if one is available and Leigh is the best person to request. If you feel like your child is not getting the support they need or if you are confused about the special education process, get support. In California, special education laws are very confusing and schools will often throw words/terms/services that make no sense. Get someone on your side of the table--Someone who knows what questions to ask. Find someone who can get the best support without damaging your relationship with the school. read more

We have been "battling" with my daughters elementary school for years. At first trusting the process and ending with anger and frustration... until we came across Leigh at Aspire Advocacy. With a few emails and a couple Zoom IEP meetings we are now getting the help my daughter needs! I know it will still be a process to make sure we stay on track but knowing that Leigh is in our corner is like having a warm blanket to comfort us. Her kind but determined spirit won over my daughters educators and us. I wished we would have found her years ago!! read more

Leigh provided a wealth of direct experience, exuded confidence, passion, and was extremely well organized. She provided an accurate representation of what was to be expected and responded accordingly when confronted with barriers. Leigh was incredibly efficient, trustworthy, transparent, communicative and responsive almost around the clock. I believe the difference maker in her approach aside from understanding the process is she is a parent who has fought and successfully won this fight for her son. Leigh not only understands how to effectively advocate she understands the how to properly support you as a parent through this process given she has lived it. If you would like to hire a fierce advocate who understands this lifelong fight, is honest and treats you as a human being not a client I urge you to work with Aspire Agency. read more

I was anxious about attending my daughter's first middle school IEP meeting. Leigh helped me navigate through the legal process and she asked all the right questions with the district attendees. I could have not gone through this without her and I am so grateful for her experience and knowledge. If you have a child/children with special needs, do not attempt to go up against your school district alone. Bring Leigh with you to get an IEP or 504 Plan so that you don't have to worry. I highly recommend her services! read more

Did not get one thing that we requested during our IEP meeting, Advocate did not speak up during meeting to fight for what we needed for our son. We landed up having to hire a lawyer. read more

Leigh has always been an excellent advocate for my son during the last 2 years. She is professional, yet very tentative to your family's unique needs and concerns. She is very organized and thorough with all the complicated paperwork during and after each IEP meeting. She helped my son to get all the services that he needed with her expertise in this advocacy business. I strongly recommend Leigh to any family with children with IEPs. She will fight for your children like her own. Thank you Leigh for your hard work and patience that helped my son during his journey. We love you! read more

Leigh provided us with much needed help with getting our daughter into Inclusion Preschool and Kindergarten. This was the most amazing outcome we could have ever hoped for and now it's up to our daughter to do her thing at school. We most appreciate how Leigh handled everything so gracefully and kept everything professional and fun. We will definitely call her again if we need help with IEP roadblocks and highly recommend her services to our friends. read more

Having worked as an Special Education Advocate, I have observed many advocacy cases that were resolved with the assistance of the staff of Aspire Advocacy, LLC. The staff is thorough and effective in working to resolve special education conflicts. Since the staff members of Aspire Advocacy are parents of students who have received special educatiion services, they offer services in a compassionate and effective manner. read more

Leigh at Aspire Advocacy is a consummate professional. Not only is she an expert in the field of special education services; she also has invaluable personal experience, which comes from raising her own son with a disability. As a parent, it is overwhelming to advocate for your child in a school setting by yourself. When I went to Leigh seeking assistance for getting much needed services for my child, she stepped right into the situation. Leigh has a positive viewpoint and an incredible work ethic. I first met with Leigh a week before my child's IEP and was impressed with her care and concern over my situation. She truly listened to my concerns and wanted to understand my goals for my child's education. Leigh spent two days reading over the documentation I provided for her and when we spoke again, she had a clear agenda and a plan of action to achieve the goals we had outlined. During the meeting, Leigh was professional, polite and an excellent facilitator. She dealt with the staff with courtesy and respect while clearly maintaining our shared focus for my child. By the end of the meeting, the staff that had told me it would be impossible to achieve my desired goals was on board with the plan that I had worked on with Leigh. Leigh is quite simply AMAZING and I would recommend Aspire Advocacy to any parent in need of an advocate for an IEP meeting. read more