A comprehensive list of Bay Area Special Needs Education schools working to help children and adults with Learning Disabilities.
Some of the best schools throughout the Bay Area, either accept, some exclusively, motivated kids with learning and other disabilities, or are “LD-friendly,” offering individualized work with LD students. They tend to be small, and admission is competitive; the application process typically begins at least a year in advance.
Alameda, California Special Needs Education Schools
The Phillips Academy
Grades 6-12
1910 Central Ave
510-769-7100
The mission is to provide a comprehensive, positive, educational program for youth with complex behavioral, social, emotional, and educational needs.
Albany, California Special Needs Education Schools
Tilden Preparatory School
Grades 6-12
1230 Solano Ave
510-525.5506
Tilden Prep is a WASC-accredited college-preparatory school for grades 6-12 that teaches UC approved courses one-to-one and in small groups, in person and online. This allows us to individualize the pace and teaching method to address a wide range of educational, social and emotional needs.
“…Some kids simply need one-on-one instruction to learn…Tilden has the academic curriculum both for the students who are struggling or are looking for something far more challenging than public schools offer.” – Tilden Parent
Call us at 510.525.5506 (Albany) or 925.933.5506 (Walnut Creek) to learn more about our full-time, part-time, and tutoring programs and how we can help your student boost their self-confidence and excel in school and beyond!
Berkeley, California Special Needs Education Schools
Bayhill High School
Grades 9-12
1940 Virginia St
510-268-1500
Bayhill High School’s unique approach, individualized instruction and specialized services build the skills and confidence students need to become successful lifelong learners. Multimodal teaching techniques and built-in accommodations make our rich curriculum accessible to students with learning differences and students who flourish in a small caring community.
Our highly experienced teachers focus on each student’s individual learning style with the goal of maximizing their inherent strengths and their potential to succeed. At Bayhill, we make sure that students with learning differences thrive.
Visit us today and see what Bayhill is all about. We offer each family an individualized meeting with the director of admissions, focusing on your child and how our school can empower them to thrive in high school and beyond.
Fusion Academy Berkeley
Grades 6-12
811 University Ave, Ste 100
510-292-4104
Every student is so different. But traditional schools treat them all the same. Fusion Academy’s 1-to-1 classes put your student at the center of their learning experience. They’ll develop the confidence and independence required for college and career success – all to ensure they reach their limitless potential.
Concord, California Special Needs Education Schools
Orion Academy
Grades 8-12
1868 Clayton Rd
925-377-0789
It is believed that one in 100 children have, or will have, an Autism Spectrum diagnosis. Orion Academy is the first high school in California to provide an education specifically for these students. The program is structured on our understanding of the theoretical basis of neurocognitive disorders. Focus is on remediating social, emotional, and visual–spatial deficits in a safe learning environment.
The Orion community works collaboratively to help students discover and develop their individual gifts and strengths, become self-advocates and realize their full potential. We strive to engage students in an educational experience that provides a path to independence.
Cupertino, California Special Needs Education Schools
Fusion Academy Cupertino
Grades 6-12
19638 Stevens Creek Blvd, Ste 230
408-663-5260
Every student is so different. But traditional schools treat them all the same. Fusion Academy’s 1-to-1 classes put your student at the center of their learning experience. They’ll develop the confidence and independence required for college and career success – all to ensure they reach their limitless potential.
Fremont, California Special Needs Education Schools
California School for the Deaf
Grades ECE-12
39350 GALLAUDET DR
510-248-4204
Deaf children with varying hearing levels including hard of hearing, Deaf-Blind, and Deaf-plus children are part of the diverse fabric of our society that makes our world a better place. We instill confidence in Deaf children by focusing on cognitive strengths while developing a positive social, cultural and family identity. Deaf children have everything to gain and nothing to lose when they are given the opportunity to learn and thrive!
Lafayette, California Special Needs Education Schools
The Springstone School
Grades 6-12
1035 Carol Ln.
925-962-9660
Educating Neurodiverse Students in 6th through 12th Grade for Over 20 Years!
The Springstone School, a Nonpublic School (NPS), certified by the California Department of Education, serves neurodiverse students from across the Bay Area with Executive Function challenges that affect their ability to organize and prioritize information and to make meaningful social connections.
Springstone offers a serene and calm learning environment, nestled along the Las Trampas creek in Lafayette. Springstone has two unique programs, a Middle School program serving grades sixth through eighth and a Community High School program serving grades ninth through twelfth. Springstone students are placed privately or through their home school district with a referral and may be enrolled year-round. We believe our students will develop strategies for use in academic and social settings if they are part of a community that understands, accepts, and challenges them.
Springstone students learn organizational and planning skills within the context of an academically rigorous middle school and high school curriculum that follows the framework of the California Common Core Standards. Small, self-contained, structured classrooms (eight students per class) allow for individualized instruction, collaboration, discussion, and conversation within multiple modalities. We use a wide variety of materials including use of Chromebooks, textbooks, hands on learning, and online resources. Each classroom is fully equipped with Promethean Smart Boards integrated with Google Classroom.
Springstone’s programs integrate pragmatic language, occupational therapy, mindfulness, organizational skills, work skills, and life skills in the academic classroom as well as in activities that take place in the community. Our programs aim to strengthen skills by emphasizing processes to improve production. We have a one of a kind ACCESS program bringing our students into the greater community for project-based learning.
We invite you to visit Springstone to learn more about our unique programs! We offer Group Tours for parents and advocates as well as Open Houses for families. Learn more about our programs and RSVP for one of our events by visiting us: www.thespringstoneschool.org
Los Gatos, California Special Needs Education Schools
Fusion Academy Los Gatos
Grades 6-12
50 University Ave, Ste A300
408-354-0743
Every student is so different. But traditional schools treat them all the same. Fusion Academy’s 1-to-1 classes put your student at the center of their learning experience. They’ll develop the confidence and independence required for college and career success – all to ensure they reach their limitless potential.
Mountain View, California Special Needs Education Schools
Palo Alto Prep
Grades 8-12
2462 Wyandotte Street
650-493-7071
Palo Alto Preparatory offers an average student-to-teacher ratio of 8:1. This allows for individualized instruction, differentiated to meet the needs of our students.Experienced and compassionate teachers guide students to think creatively and critically, whether they are analyzing and discussing a text in English or completing a group lab experiment in Chemistry. Our goal is for students to graduate prepared to apply the complex problem-solving and communication skills they gained at PAP in their lives beyond high school.
Orinda, California Special Needs Education Schools
Orinda Academy
Grades 8-12
19 Altarinda Rd.
925-254-7553
At Orinda Academy, we understand that each student learns differently and faces distinct challenges. With small class sizes and a dedicated team of educators, we provide personalized attention that fosters academic growth and emotional well-being for our students in grades 8-12. Our curriculum is designed to engage students through interactive learning experiences, nurturing their curiosity and passion for knowledge. By fostering strong student-teacher relationships, we create a supportive atmosphere where students feel valued and empowered to overcome obstacles. We not only address academic gaps, but also provide comprehensive support services that bolster confidence and self-esteem. At Orinda Academy, students can thrive, rediscover their potential, and lay the foundation for a successful future.
Palo Alto, California Special Needs Education Schools
Athena Academy
Grades 1-8
525 San Antonio Ave
650-543-4560
Children that feel confident about how they learn, do better in school.
Athena Academy believes confidence is the foundation and learners are diverse. When children feel confident about how they learn, they do better in school.
Located in Palo Alto, near Stanford University, our spacious campus is an ideal environment for academic success and emotional renewal with plenty of playground space to explore, beautiful auditoriums for Music, Art, drama and a Maker-space where your child’s unique neurodiverse talents thrive.
Children deserve a place to own their neurodiverse talent.
We create environments where each child feels confident and believes in their wisdom. We mix conventional and pioneering methods to match the individual child. A child that feels academically and emotionally renewed will unlock their innate potential, and embrace their unique abilities.
Bright dyslexic with strong visual-spatial thinking have these advantages at Athena.
Fusion Academy Palo Alto
Grades 6-12
2191 E. Bayshore Rd, Ste 100
650-857-0634
Every student is so different. But traditional schools treat them all the same. Fusion Academy’s 1-to-1 classes put your student at the center of their learning experience. They’ll develop the confidence and independence required for college and career success – all to ensure they reach their limitless potential.
Pleasanton, California Special Needs Education Schools
Fusion Academy Pleasanton
Grades 6-12
4301 Hacienda Dr, Ste 120
925-623-5433
Every student is so different. But traditional schools treat them all the same. Fusion Academy’s 1-to-1 classes put your student at the center of their learning experience. They’ll develop the confidence and independence required for college and career success – all to ensure they reach their limitless potential.
San Carlos, California Special Needs Education Schools
Arbor Bay School
Grades K-8
1017 Cedar Street
650-244-1519
In this positive and nurturing environment students learn to believe in themselves and build confidence both in ad out of the classroom.
San Francisco, California Special Needs Education Schools
Fusion Academy San Francisco
Grades 6-12
1160 Battery St, Ste 40
415-765-9078
Every student is so different. But traditional schools treat them all the same. Fusion Academy’s 1-to-1 classes put your student at the center of their learning experience. They’ll develop the confidence and independence required for college and career success – all to ensure they reach their limitless potential.
San Jose, California Special Needs Education Schools
Morgan Autism Center
Ages 5-22
950 St. Elizabeth Dr
408-241-8161
Morgan Autism Center’s mission is to help children and adults with autism or other developmental disabilities maximize their potential in a dignified, positive and loving environment.
San Mateo, California Special Needs Education Schools
Fusion Academy San Mateo
Grades 6-12
2000 Alameda de las Pulgas, Ste 128
650-312-8305
Every student is so different. But traditional schools treat them all the same. Fusion Academy’s 1-to-1 classes put your student at the center of their learning experience. They’ll develop the confidence and independence required for college and career success – all to ensure they reach their limitless potential.
San Rafael, California Special Needs Education Schools
Fusion Academy Marin
Grades 6-12
1600 Los Gamos Dr, Lobby D, Ste 380
415-472-1421
Every student is so different. But traditional schools treat them all the same. Fusion Academy’s 1-to-1 classes put your student at the center of their learning experience. They’ll develop the confidence and independence required for college and career success – all to ensure they reach their limitless potential.
The Helix School
Grades K – Post H.S.
161 Mitchell Blvd
415-569-5056
The Helix School nurtures the capabilities of children with autism and autism-like developmental challenges in a dynamic, relationship-based, interdisciplinary educational setting. Our integrated curriculum is tailored to our student’s developmental level, sensory processing differences, and emotional-regulatory needs. At THS, we emphasize motivation-based, kinesthetic and sensory-based learning.
Star Academy
Grades 3 – Post H.S.
4470 Redwood Hwy
415-456-8727
Star Academy, non-public school (NPS), is a recognized leader in the Bay Area in educating students with learning differences from third grade through post-high school. Our team of highly skilled teachers and specialists provide an individually-tailored educational program which gives each student the skills, knowledge and resources they need to advance academically and find joy in learning.
Winston Prep Marin County Campus
Grades 3 – Post H.S.
1 Saint Vincents Drive
415-993-5533
Finding the right school for your child with a learning difference is fundamental. The Winston Prep Marin County Campus – a part of Winston Preparatory School national network – is a leading school for students grades 4-12 with learning differences, including dyslexia, ADHD, and nonverbal learning disorders.
What makes Winston Prep unique is its commitment to an in-depth understanding of each individual student. Winston Prep accomplishes this through the Continuous Feedback process, designed to gain a deeper understanding of the students, facilitating constant assessment, remediation, and analysis of each student’s response to their individualized program – while building a strong community.
This process is accompanied by Winston Prep’s Focus Program, where students receive daily one-to-one instruction geared towards their individual needs. Winston Prep is the only educational institution for learning differences that provides a Focus Program in the nation.
If you are interested in the Marin County, California campus, please contact Kristen Atkins, Head of School, [email protected] or call (415) 993-5533, extension 28001. Visit https://www.winstonprep.edu/our-campuses/marin-county.
Sausalito, California Special Needs Education Schools
Headlands Preparatory School
Grades 6-12
1050 Bridgeway
415-944-2254
Headlands Preparatory School is an award winning, WASC-accredited, college preparatory school for grades 6 through 12 with a long history of helping students succeed through individualized learning. Headlands’ unique one-to-one and small group teaching model allows us to tailor instruction to each student, ensuring that students master the material and experience real success in their courses and increased confidence for future learning.
Founded on the principle that all students can grow as individuals and learners within a supportive environment, Headlands Preparatory School provides an individualized program aimed at empowering students to develop through learning and engagement. From highly gifted students who find a traditional classroom setting too limiting, to students with learning differences who need a specialized teaching approach to shine academically, Headlands Prep meets students where they are to maximize both their learning and their self-confidence. Headlands Prep first opened as a branch of Tilden Preparatory School, advocating the same philosophy, curriculum, and teaching methodologies as its parent institution. Headlands Prep quickly established itself as a thriving campus in the Marin community, offering a quality program responsive to the needs of its students.
Walnut Creek, California Special Needs Education Schools
Fusion Academy Walnut Creek
Grades 6-12
3003 Oak Road, Ste 150
925-296-0053
Every student is so different. But traditional schools treat them all the same. Fusion Academy’s 1-to-1 classes put your student at the center of their learning experience. They’ll develop the confidence and independence required for college and career success – all to ensure they reach their limitless potential.
Tilden Preparatory School
Grades 6-12
1475 N. Broadway
925-933-5506
Tilden Prep is a WASC-accredited college-preparatory school for grades 6-12 that teaches UC approved courses one-to-one and in small groups, in person and online. This allows us to individualize the pace and teaching method to address a wide range of educational, social and emotional needs.
“…Some kids simply need one-on-one instruction to learn…Tilden has the academic curriculum both for the students who are struggling or are looking for something far more challenging than public schools offer.” – Tilden Parent
Call us at 510.525.5506 (Albany) or 925.933.5506 (Walnut Creek) to learn more about our full-time, part-time, and tutoring programs and how we can help your student boost their self-confidence and excel in school and beyond!
