Kim Yamamoto, has over 11 years of experience advocating for families with special education and section 504 needs across Arizona. She started advocating for her own son with Autism and a cognitive impairment. Her successful collaboration with professional and intense therapy and nutritional interventions has lead to her son's recovery. This drive to succeed has allowed her to help thousands of families and has provided extensive experience to meet the needs a wide variety of students with disabilities. ADHD, learning disabilities, Down syndrome, medically fragile, severe food allergies, epilepsy, autism spectrum, dyslexia, dyspraxia, reading issues, gifted with a disability (2E) and student’s with intense sensory and/or behavioral/emotional needs just to name a few.

Kim’s educational background as a para-legal prepared her for the need that developed while having to negotiate with state and local systems to get appropriate services for her son. As an entrepreneur with a residential appraiser business she found her love for assisting families in negotiating with schools blended well with her detailed knowledge of IDEA, special education law. The need for special education support was so significant that she sold her appraisal business and dedicated her life to advocating for families.

 After advocating for families for several years she joined Raising Special Kids as the Coordinated the Arizona’s Parent Training and Information (PTI) Network and led the team of 7 in meeting the needs of over 10,000 families annually with special education and Section 504 needs. As a presenter Kim Yamamoto has spoken locally, at statewide events and nationally providing information on Parent-Professional Collaboration and Effective Strategies When Developing Effective IEP’s or 504 Plan’s. 

As a professional Kim continues to stay up to date on local and national issues related to special education and Section 504. With over 90 hours of professional development annually. This past year she focused on updating IDEA 2004, Behavior in our school systems (FBA’s and PBP), Sensory needs in the school system, proven methodology for reading and math, RTI (response to intervention) for reading math and behavior, high school transitions and the most recent court decisions that affect special education. She is a member of the professional organization COPAA (Council of Parents Advocates and Attorneys). This national network keeps advocates and attorneys connected in-order to create systemic change in our school systems.

Kim continues to be available, by appointment, to offer her services as an advocate for families. She specializes in problem solving by identifying the critical issues and then providing options that lead to an effective solution. Kim has a detailed understanding of both the content and intent of IDEA and Section 504 and the documentation that is required on an IEP and 504 plan.

Kim’s style of advocacy is to provide a full spectrum of services in a collaborative manner. She works with families who are just starting the process and want to learn to those who are experienced and would like to have someone look over their IEP or 504 for suggestions and/or attend a meeting with them, with everything in between. Kim completes all of the steps necessary to understand the situation and help families follow through on students needs. This always includes reviewing documents and parent interview. In addition an observation of the home and/or educational setting may be needed to help her to best support the needs of the child and family.

For further questions you can reach her at 602-471-0346 or by email

kim@ArizonaSpecEdAdvocates.com