FOUNDER & ADVOCATE

I hold a JD from Penn State Law, an MA in Secondary Mathematics Education from Columbia University, and a BS in Financial Mathematics and Statistics from UC Santa Barbara.

I didn’t come to education advocacy through theory — I came through experience. As a teacher in some of the country’s most under-resourced schools, I witnessed firsthand how students were failed by systems that were supposed to support them. I saw how parents were overwhelmed, outnumbered, and under-informed when it came to IEPs, assessments, and their children’s rights. And I saw the same injustice mirrored in my legal work — where bureaucracy too often outweighed fairness.

So I decided to do something about it.

I became a legal advocate to stand beside families — not in a courtroom battle, but in the real-life trenches of education law. My work is rooted in both lived experience and legal training: I’ve taught in classrooms across the country, earned my law degree with a focus on public interest, and served as a trial advocacy professor and legal strategist. I’ve represented parents in IEP meetings, advised educators on compliance, and worked to ensure that children with disabilities, behavioral challenges, or learning differences are not left behind.

I bring a calm, informed, and strategic voice to a process that often feels intimidating or chaotic. My goal is to make sure you feel heard, supported, and protected — while ensuring your child receives the services and supports they are entitled to. Whether it’s negotiating with school districts, analyzing IEPs, or fighting for placement and support services, I approach every case with empathy, preparation, and an unshakable belief in equity.

If you’re a parent who’s tired of being dismissed, overwhelmed by paperwork, or unsure of what to do next — I see you. I’ve helped many families just like yours, and I’d be honored to help yours too.

ATTORNEY

Kathleen Aberegg is a seasoned special education attorney based in Lake Tahoe, California. With extensive experience representing families in Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) due process complaints, Kathleen is a fierce advocate for students with disabilities. She brings both deep legal knowledge and a practical understanding of the challenges families face in navigating the special education system. Known for her thorough preparation, sharp litigation skills, and unwavering commitment to justice, Kathleen empowers parents to fight for the educational rights their children deserve.

PSYCHOLOGIST

Amanda Nicolson, Ph.D, BCBA-D received her M.A. in Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1998, and her Ph.D. from Florida State University in 2000. She became a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst in 2000.

Early experience includes being the director for services for ABC School in Sacramento and the lead behavior analyst for Washoe County School District in Reno, NV. In 2006 Dr. Nicolson moved to Fresno, CA to accept a faculty position at Fresno State.

Over 8 years as a professor in the Psychology department, she was received two Provost awards, served as the coordinator for the Master’s program in ABA and founded the autism center at Fresno State. After receiving tenure and promotion and growing the Fresno State Autism Center to a booming clinical training center, Dr. Nicolson moved into community practice in the central valley developing 3 autism centers in the area over the past several years. While working in clinical settings full-time, Dr. Nicolson continued to teach part-time at the graduate level, and has held adjunct positions at the Chicago School for Professional Psychology and at Pepperdine University. She joined the adjunct team at Ball State University for the Fall 2024 term.

Dr. Nicolson has also been a school consultant for over a decade, working in over 25 districts across the state to provide consulting services to school districts in several capacities including training for school teams and serving as an independent evaluator for districts and families.

In 2021, she founded Education Behavior Consultants (EBC) to bring together a diverse team of professionals with background and training that focus specifically on the needs of students in schools.

Dr. Nicolson has also been prominent in her professional community. She served on the California ABA Board of Directors and held the position of President for 2021-2022 and is currently serving as the Marketing Chairperson for CalABA. She has published peer-reviewed articles, magazine columns, and book chapters and regularly presents at regional and national conferences. Dr. Nicolson has traveled to Bosnia, Jordan and the country of Georgia to work on autism projects in those countries.

On a personal note, she is the mother of two, a huge movie buff, teaches yoga and fitness, and loves traveling!