At Brooklyn Heights Behavioral Associates, we understand that a diagnosis is only the starting point. Whether you are reviewing a neuropsychological report or transitioning home after a hospitalization, translating complex clinical advice into a functional classroom plan can feel like navigating a wilderness without a compass.
That is where experts like Christine Levy come in. A career educator and administrator who turned her lived experience into a powerhouse advocacy group, Christine has built a team spanning from New England to the Tri-State area. Together, they are redefining what it means to fight for a child’s right to a tailored, supportive education.
Partnering with professionals like Levy Educational Advocacy allows BHBA to support parent-child interaction far beyond our office walls—specifically in the classrooms where children spend the majority of their day. This collaboration bridges our shared missions: empowering families with the tools to foster emotional resilience, support neurodevelopment, and ensure day-to-day thriving.
Q: Christine, you’ve spent years in the trenches of both public and private education. What was the catalyst for starting Levy Educational Advocacy?
Christine: It really came down to recognizing the emotional weight families carry. I have a background in Special Education and a Master’s from NYU. Yet I found my head spinning when advocating for my own son and recognized just how much it challenges and exhausts parents.
I saw barriers that prevented children from getting access to learning they needed. In 2022, I decided to take my experience—from teaching at The Hewitt School and the Aaron School to leading K-12 districts—and use it to help families navigate this “foreign language” of special education. We want to be the reason a parent can finally take a deep breath.
Q: You often mention that special education has its own language. How does your team help parents translate that?
Christine: The acronyms alone are enough to make your head spin! But it’s more than just terms; it’s about understanding the systems and the people within them. Our work is deeply rooted in strategy.
We are parent advocates who have lived experience AND a team of Master’s trained, certified special education administrators and learning challenges coaches. We know how the school side operates because we’ve sat in those seats. When we look at an IEP, we aren’t just reading words; we’re looking at the intervention itself. As I always say: “More isn’t always better; it is the intervention and the expertise behind it that matters.”
Q: Many families come to us after a crisis or a new diagnosis. At what point should they bring an advocate into the fold?
Christine: Ideally, as soon as you have those medical recommendations in hand. We meet families where they are—whether it’s a diagnosis of autism, dyslexia, or a traumatic brain injury.
We act as the bridge between the medical world and the academic setting. We take those neuropsychological recommendations and translate them into what they actually look like in a classroom. We prep parents for conferences, review IEPs before meetings to provide feedback, and ensure that the “silos” of a child’s life—their doctors, therapists for family conflict, and teachers—are actually communicating.
Q: New York and the surrounding states often have a very legalistic approach to Special Ed. How does Levy Advocacy differ from a traditional law firm?
Christine: It’s a significant shift. In places like New York, the instinct is often: “If it’s not working, get a lawyer.”
But that isn’t always what’s best therapy for the child. At Levy Educational Advocacy, we lead with compassion, collaboration and partnership. We know how to speak to school administrators and are very successful at achieving our goals.
Eighty percent of our staff have neurodiverse children of their own. We operate without an attorney ninety percent of the time because we know how to collaborate with districts to get out-of-district placements or high-level services through strategy and documentation. However, if a lawsuit becomes necessary, we hand-package everything with a bow for the legal team. We make sure the evidence is undeniable.
Q: You recently launched “The Levy Academy.” Can you tell us about that resource?
Christine: Absolutely! The Levy Academy is a hub for resources and webinars. We do deep dives into IEP writing, progress monitoring, and bringing in guest experts like neuropsychologists to help families and professionals understand where the focus should be. It’s all about being proactive rather than reactive.
Shared Mission & Partnership Alignment
Levy Educational Advocacy and Brooklyn Heights Behavioral Associates both lead with a mission of supporting the emotional, mental, social and developmental needs of children, teens and families, while equipping parents with the tools to guide them. This partnership highlights the value of trusted, research-informed resources and the power of coordinated care, whether through therapy, coaching, assessments, or parent-education programs. Families benefit when like-minded action-oriented organizations unite.