Special Education Advocacy
Guidance through evaluations, eligibility, discipline, and disputes — so your child gets the free, appropriate education the law promises.
Facilitation With HeartSpecial Education & Disability Advocacy · Independent Facilitation
Advocacy & Facilitation statewide
Advocacy with heart.
Advocacy with heart.
Support with purpose.
We help California families navigate special education, disability advocacy, and the Self-Determination Program — with a partner who listens first and stands beside you every step.
Independent facilitation, statewide
Every California Regional Center
Based in Fresno
Empowering families. Changing futures.
Our mission is to empower families of individuals with disabilities by providing advocacy, education, and support — with heart. We meet you where you are, translate complex systems into plain language, and make sure your child's voice is at the center of every decision.
The heart in our name is a promise: everything we do, we do with our whole heart — because no family should ever have to feel alone in this.
Advocacy with heart. Support with purpose.
What we do
Services built around your family
Whether you're preparing for your first IEP meeting or building a Self-Determination budget, we bring calm, knowledgeable support to every table.
IEP Support & Meetings
We prepare with you, sit beside you, and keep the meeting focused on goals, services, and outcomes that actually fit your child.
Independent Facilitation (Regional Center SDP)
Vendored independent facilitation for the Self-Determination Program — person-centered planning, budgets, and spending plans that put you in charge.
Resource Navigation & Systems Support
IHSS, Regional Center services, fair hearings, and the maze in between — we help you find the right door and open it.
New at FWH
Special Education & Family Support Services
Led by Ms. Keen · Credentialed Education Specialist
Master's in Education · Bachelor's in Sociology · A.A. in Early Childhood Education
15 years in special education · Regional Center parent
Ms. Keen is a credentialed Education Specialist with a Master's in Education, a Bachelor's in Sociology, and an Associate degree in Early Childhood Education, and she brings 15 years of experience in special education. She also knows this journey from the other side of the table, as the parent of a Regional Center client. She understands how schools write IEPs, how services get built, and what it actually takes for a family to keep those supports in place year after year.
Her role is simple: help your family understand the system, get what your child needs, and feel confident carrying it forward.
- IEP Review & PreparationA close read of your child's IEP, goals, services, and progress reports, so you walk into your next meeting knowing what's working, what's missing, and what to ask for.
- Special Education AdvocacySupport before, during, and after IEP meetings, with a teacher's understanding of how districts make decisions.
- Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs)Guidance on when and how to request an IEE, help reviewing evaluation results, and making sure the findings actually show up in your child's plan.
- Natural & Community SupportsIdentifying and connecting your family with resources already around you (community programs, family networks, local organizations) so support isn't limited to what an agency funds.
- Family Training for Long-Term SuccessTeaching families how to track services, keep records, follow up, and advocate on their own, so the supports you fight for keep working long after the meeting ends.
You don't have to figure this out alone, and you shouldn't have to start over every year.
Our specialty
Independent Facilitation for the Self-Determination Program
The Self-Determination Program (SDP) gives your family real control over the services and supports in your life. As a vendored independent facilitator, we work for you — not the system — to build a plan and budget that reflect what matters most.
- Person-centered planning that starts with your goals and vision
- Individual budget and spending-plan development
- Support finding and coordinating your chosen providers
- A steady guide through the transition into SDP
What we believe
The heart behind the work
Every child has potential
We plan for who your child can become, not just the label on a form.
Every family deserves support
You should never have to face the system alone or in the dark.
Every voice matters
Your family's priorities lead the plan — we make sure they're heard.
Statewide coverage
Serving families across California
We're based in Fresno and provide independent facilitation for the Self-Determination Program with every Regional Center in the state.
Your home center? If you don't see how we can help in your area, just ask — we work statewide.
- Alta California (ACRC)
- Central Valley (CVRC)
- Eastern Los Angeles (ELARC)
- Far Northern (FNRC)
- Golden Gate (GGRC)
- Harbor (HRC)
- Inland (IRC)
- Kern (KRC)
- Frank D. Lanterman (FDLRC)
- North Bay (NBRC)
- North Los Angeles County (NLACRC)
- Redwood Coast (RCRC)
- East Bay (RCEB)
- Orange County (RCOC)
- San Andreas (SARC)
- San Diego (SDRC)
- San Gabriel/Pomona (SG/PRC)
- South Central Los Angeles (SCLARC)
- Tri-Counties (TCRC)
- Valley Mountain (VMRC)
- Westside (WRC)
Who you'll work with
Meet the team
Real people who know these systems from the inside — and who treat your family the way we'd want ours treated.
Kathryn Aranzasu
Owner & Operator
Kathryn founded Facilitation With Heart to give families a knowledgeable, tenacious advocate in their corner. She brings deep, hands-on experience with California's disability and special education systems — from IEP tables to Regional Center planning — and a relentless commitment to making sure every child's needs are heard, understood, and met.
K_Aranzasu@fwheart.comAneicesa Borquez
Intake Specialist
Aneicesa is often the first person families meet at Facilitation With Heart. She welcomes new families, walks them through intake, gathers the information and records we need, and makes sure every family knows what comes next. She pairs genuine warmth and steady organization with a fierce belief that no family should have to find their way alone.
A_Borquez@fwheart.comMs. Keen
Ongoing Independent Facilitator · Special Education & Family Support
Ms. Keen is a credentialed Education Specialist with a Master's in Education, a Bachelor's in Sociology, and an Associate degree in Early Childhood Education, and she has spent 15 years in special education. She is also the parent of a Regional Center client, so she knows the IEP process from both sides of the table. She is our Ongoing Independent Facilitator for families already in the Self-Determination Program, and she also reviews IEPs, supports families in meetings, guides them through independent educational evaluations, connects them with natural and community supports, and trains families to keep their services working for the long haul.
B_Keen@fwheart.com
For families we serve
Your Family Portal
- See where your case stands, whether you're transitioning into SDP or receiving ongoing facilitation
- Upload IPPs, IEPs, assessments and regional center letters
- Download your person-centered plan, spending plan and other records
- Message your FWH team privately and see who is working on your case
Now open
Families working with us sign in with the email and temporary password we give you, then choose your own password. New to Facilitation With Heart? Start with our intake below.
Sign in to the Family Portal New family? Start servicesHow your case moves
- 1IntakeAneicesa Borquez, Intake SpecialistIntake forms, documents, and a family interview — so we understand your family, current services, and what you need.
- 2Transition into SDPKathryn Aranzasu, Owner & OperatorFor families moving into the Self-Determination Program: your person-centered plan, unmet-needs requests, budget and IPP meetings, spending plan, and FMS enrollment.
- 3Ongoing facilitationMs. Keen, Ongoing Independent FacilitatorFor families already in SDP: year-round support with your plan, spending plan updates, and IPP meetings. Ms. Keen also leads our special education and IEP support.
Ready to start
Start services
This is our ready-to-start intake questionnaire. Tell us a little about your family and the person you care for, and we'll reach out to set up a time to talk and walk you through next steps. There's no cost to inquire and no obligation.
Your information goes directly and securely to Facilitation With Heart through Google Forms and is kept confidential. If the form doesn't load below, use the button to open it in a new tab.
Let's talk
Reach out — we'd love to help
Tell us a little about your family and where you are in the process. We'll follow up personally.
Call(559) 412-8545
Text only(559) 753-0968
Email KathrynK_Aranzasu@fwheart.com
Email AneicesaA_Borquez@fwheart.com
Email Ms. Keen · IEP & family supportB_Keen@fwheart.com
Websitefwheart.com
LocationFresno, California · Serving families statewide