In an email Thursday evening, Lucas said she welcomes the idea of new regulations and oversight, as well as legal protections, for advocates like her.

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While it is rare for the thousands of Virginia families with special needs children to go to court or participate in administrative due-process hearings, non-attorney advocates can be helpful for families unfamiliar with federal and state statutes requiring public schools to meet the needs of children with disabilities, experts said.

Maureen Hollowell, director of advocacy and services at the Norfolk-based Endependence Center, and Robert Dinerstein, director of the Disability Rights Law Clinic at American University, said lawmakers and regulators should be mindful not to make requisite training or certifications for advocates overly prohibitive.

Henrico school officials have said they prefer resolving special education disputes amicably or in mediation, but Hollowell and Dinerstein said families remain at a disadvantage in those scenarios if they are alone negotiating with professionals and lawyers for the school system to agree on special education plans or accommodations for their children.