Helen Roussel
Special Education Advocate (Non-Attorney) MSW Candidate 2027 | SEAT II |
About the AdvocateI am a special education advocate with over ten years of experience representing students and families. I am an MSW candidate completing my Master of Social Work in spring 2027, and I work at Advancement for Orchid Children, a special education law firm. Together, these experiences ground my advocacy in both the whole-child perspective of social work and the legal framework that protects your child's rights.
I came to this work the hard way: as a parent. When two of my children struggled in school, I had no roadmap. Navigating evaluations, remediation programs, and district negotiations became a full-time job, and it gave me insight into the barriers families face and a lasting commitment to ensuring no family navigates them alone. Since then, I've represented hundreds of students with a wide range of disabilities and neurodivergencies, including dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and intellectual disabilities, as well as families dealing with bullying and school exclusion. My approach is rooted in the whole child, not just the diagnosis, drawing on:
I work collaboratively with parents and school districts, using strategic planning and principled negotiation to secure the individually tailored services to which a child with an IEP is legally entitled. Policy & community leadership:
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"...to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living." |
Parent of 8-year old (2018)
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Helen was absolutely amazing in helping our little boy get the services he so desperately needs.
We will be forever grateful for everything Helen has done for us. Our son had been struggling
with reading since kindergarten. My husband and I had approached his school several times
asking for appropriate services but we were always denied. When we met Helen she told us
about all the necessary steps that need to be taken and she willingly attended our son's CSE
meeting with us. During the meeting, my husband and I were so impressed with Helen's vast
knowledge regarding dyslexia and it's subtypes and how it affects learning and student's
performance on every level. We admired her ability to present facts and statistics in a concise
and clear way. She pointed out the neurological differences with dyslexia. We wholeheartedly
recommend Helen to all parents!! She is the person you want in your corner advocating for your
child's rights. If you are feeling intimidated and overwhelmed by the CSE process, and have been
denied services, having an advocate such as Helen will change your experience entirely.
Thank you Helen!!
We will be forever grateful for everything Helen has done for us. Our son had been struggling
with reading since kindergarten. My husband and I had approached his school several times
asking for appropriate services but we were always denied. When we met Helen she told us
about all the necessary steps that need to be taken and she willingly attended our son's CSE
meeting with us. During the meeting, my husband and I were so impressed with Helen's vast
knowledge regarding dyslexia and it's subtypes and how it affects learning and student's
performance on every level. We admired her ability to present facts and statistics in a concise
and clear way. She pointed out the neurological differences with dyslexia. We wholeheartedly
recommend Helen to all parents!! She is the person you want in your corner advocating for your
child's rights. If you are feeling intimidated and overwhelmed by the CSE process, and have been
denied services, having an advocate such as Helen will change your experience entirely.
Thank you Helen!!
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Parent of 6-year-old (2022)
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Helen is a wealth of information about parenting a child with dyslexia, finding ways
to help them, and identifying the shortcomings in our local school systems
approach to teaching children with dyslexia. She attended a meeting with me and
administrators and introduced the method of Orton-Gillingham reading in the
meeting, and organized an easy and inexpensive way to get teachers trained. She has helped
give me confidence to continue advocating for my son. We have a long way to go in
the fight for free appropriate education for children with learning disabilities and
dyslexia. Helen is a valuable part of the community that is working on addressing
this problem in our local schools.
to help them, and identifying the shortcomings in our local school systems
approach to teaching children with dyslexia. She attended a meeting with me and
administrators and introduced the method of Orton-Gillingham reading in the
meeting, and organized an easy and inexpensive way to get teachers trained. She has helped
give me confidence to continue advocating for my son. We have a long way to go in
the fight for free appropriate education for children with learning disabilities and
dyslexia. Helen is a valuable part of the community that is working on addressing
this problem in our local schools.
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Parent of 10-year-old (2022)
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Helen gave me the confidence I needed to bring up such topics of Dyslexia in our
school systems. She gladly attended a meeting with myself and the Administrators
in my school district. She help push them in the right direction in getting our
teachers trained to a higher standard for our children. Her approach was both
professional and persuasive. As a result our school district is proactively involved in
getting teachers trained to a higher standard.
Thank you Helen for being an advocate to help push our districts in the right
direction.
school systems. She gladly attended a meeting with myself and the Administrators
in my school district. She help push them in the right direction in getting our
teachers trained to a higher standard for our children. Her approach was both
professional and persuasive. As a result our school district is proactively involved in
getting teachers trained to a higher standard.
Thank you Helen for being an advocate to help push our districts in the right
direction.
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Parent of 12-year-old (2023)
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Reading is at the center of learning and Helen is well versed in what works for the
dyslexic student when they have other disabilities too. She was able to help me secure an Orton Gillingham tutor to help
my daughter at school, and services for writing and ADHD. She attended a meeting with P.P.S. to help convince them the need
for hiring a tutor. Helen knows ignoring why students struggle can and does lead to high school drop
outs, failure to set life goals and even jail.
Helen is a warrior for the students with disabilities advocating for children who don't know
why they aren't like the other students.
dyslexic student when they have other disabilities too. She was able to help me secure an Orton Gillingham tutor to help
my daughter at school, and services for writing and ADHD. She attended a meeting with P.P.S. to help convince them the need
for hiring a tutor. Helen knows ignoring why students struggle can and does lead to high school drop
outs, failure to set life goals and even jail.
Helen is a warrior for the students with disabilities advocating for children who don't know
why they aren't like the other students.
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Thanks Helen for getting a proper evaluation for my son without that and your input, he would never have made the progress he has now. Thank you!!
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Parent of 14-year-old (2024)
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She is doing so well now- thank you Helen for your help!
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Parent of 13-year-old
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Helen was extremely effective in communicating to our school district on the neurological challenges students with disabilities face. She eloquently explained the needs of my child to our school and used special education law to get the right services, and he has now started to want to go to school again.
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Parent of 15-year-old (2025)
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Thank you Helen for being our advocate and helping our son at school, he has made good progress!
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