Blog School Best Schools for Autism in the USA: Top Choices for Specialized Learning

Best Schools for Autism in the USA: Top Choices for Specialized Learning

Updated on January 21, 2024

AngelSense is committed to helping parents protect their children with autism and special needs and provide resources and useful information. We know firsthand that putting your autistic child into school for the first time, ever, or transitioning to a new class or facility is an enormous task that requires months or even years of planning. Even with the abundant resources online, how do you separate the good from the not so good?

Making this choice is highly dependent on where you live; your community’s resources and the availability of educational services, as well as the quality of both.

Nationwide, there are a variety of specialized schools that focus on the unique needs of children & teens with developmental, emotional or behavioral issues. Some are publicly funded charter schools; some are tuition-based private schools for which families may qualify for financial assistance through various government programs.

Every parent has different ideas about what a good school should provide for their child. Connecting with local organizations or parents who might be able to give their perspective on the school you’ll eventually choose might give you some insight in making your decision. No matter which school you choose, evaluation of a good fit for your child is ongoing, but hopefully, we’ve given you a good place to start. If you know of a good school, don’t hesitate to let us know so we can keep the list updated.

See how AngelSense GPS for Autism can help protect your child on the school bus and at school.

Below we have highlighted some of the top schools for children with autism across the country.

Autism Schools in Alabama

School	City	State
The Academy Bob Jones High School The Academy	Madison Madison Madison	AL AL AL

Autism Schools in Arkansas

School	City	State
Oxford Learning Arkansas Conway Tutoring	Conway	AR

Autism Schools in Arizona

School	City	State
Arizona Autism Charter School (AZACS) THE AUSTIN CENTERS FOR EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS (ACES) Autism Academy for Education and Development (AAED) AZ Aspire Academy GATEWAY ACADEMY LIFE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE	Phoenix Peoria Tempe Tempe, Scottsdale, Goodyear, Queen Creek and Tucson Phoenix Glendale	AZ AZ AZ AZ AZ AZ

Autism Schools in California

School	City	State
BEACON DAY SCHOOL EAST VALLEY EDUCATION CENTER ELLIOTT INSTITUTE The Kendall Centers – Therapeutic Pathways Opportunities for Learning (OFL) PINE HILL SCHOOL SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT CENTER	La Palma Oakdale La Crescenta Northern California Southern California San Jose Buena Park	CA CA CA CA CA CA CA

Autism Schools in Colorado

School	City	State
Denver Academy Humanex Academy DEVEREUX COLORADO CLEO WALLACE The Joshua School	Denver Englewood Westminster Englewood	CO CO CO CO

Autism Schools in Connecticut

School	City	State
ARCH BRIDGE SCHOOL EAGLE HILL SCHOOL The Glenholme School HOPE ACADEMY Oxford Academy VILLA MARIA SCHOOL	Bethlehem Greenwich Washington Orange Westbrook Stamford	CT CT CT CT CT CT

Autism Schools in Washington, D.C.

School	City	State
The Kingsbury Center	Washington	D.C.

Autism Schools in Delaware

School	City	State
Alfred G. Waters Middle School Appoquinimink School District	Middletown Middletown	DE DE

Autism Schools in Florida

School	City	State
Carrie Brazer Center for Autism & Alternative Approaches, Inc. DEPAUL SCHOOL OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA DESOTO SCHOOL DISTRICT DICKENS SANOMI ACADEMY MIAMI LEARNING EXPERIENCE SCHOOL MORNING STAR CATHOLIC SCHOOL TAMPA THE OPEN DOORWAY SOUTH FLORIDA AUTISM CHARTER	Miami Jacksonville Arcadia Plantation Miami Tampa West Palm Beach Hialeah	FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL

Autism Schools in Georgia

School	City	State
ADVANCE LEARNING CENTER Cumberland Academy of Georgia Joseph Sam School The Cottage School	St. Marys Atlanta Fayetteville Roswell	GA GA GA GA

Autism Schools in Idaho

School	City	State
Oxford Learning Florida Idaho Meridian Tutoring	Meridian	ID

Autism Schools in Illinois

School	City	State
CENTER FOR DISABILITY SERVICES EDUCATIONAL THERAPY CENTER OF MADISON COUNTY GIANT STEPS HOPE SCHOOL LEARNING CENTER LT. JOSEPH P. KENNEDY JR. SCHOOL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN MARYVILLE JEN SCHOOL KESHET DAY SCHOOL NewHope Academy Soaring Eagle Academy SULLIVAN HOUSE HIGH SCHOOL TIMBERLINE KNOLLS ACADEMY	Joliet Troy Lisle Springfield Tinley Park Northbrook Des Plaines Niles Lombard Chicago Lemont	IL IL IL IL IL IL IL IL IL IL IL

Autism Schools in Indiana

School	City	State
Behavior Analysis Center for Autism (BACA) Hamilton Heights School District Noblesville School District T.C. HARRIS SCHOOL	Fishers Arcadia Noblesville Lafayette	IN IN IN IN

Autism Schools in Kansas

School	City	State
HEARTSPRING	Wichita	KS

Autism Schools in Kentucky

School	City	State
Oxford Learning Kentucky Louisville Tutoring The de Paul School	Louisville Louisville	KY KY

Autism Schools in Louisiana

School	City	State
ST. MICHAEL SPECIAL SCHOOL The Emerge School for Autism PIECE OF MIND CENTER	New Orleans Baton Rouge Mandeville	LA LA LA

Autism Schools in Massachusetts

School	City	State
THE CLIFFORD SCHOOL AT LONGVIEW FARM CROSSROADS SCHOOL CRYSTAL SPRINGS SCHOOL THE HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS THE HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS – SOUTHEAST CAMPUS LEAGUE SCHOOL OF GREATER BOSTON LEARNING PREP SCHOOL May Center School for Autism & Developmental Disabilities May Center for Child Development Schools The New England Center for Children, Inc. WHITE OAK SCHOOL WILLIE ROSS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF	Walpole Natick Assonet Walpole Plymouth Walpole West Newton West Springfield Randolph Southborough Westfield Longmeadow	MA MA MA MA MA MA MA MA MA MA MA MA

Autism Schools in Maryland

School	City	State
BENEDICTINE SCHOOL The Ivymount School Kennedy Krieger Institute ST. ELIZABETH SCHOOL	Ridgely Rockville Baltimore Baltimore	MD MD MD MD

Autism Schools in Michigan

School	City	State
Ann Arbor Academy Chatfield School	Ann Arbor Lapeer	MI MI

Autism Schools in Minnesota

School	City	State
ACADEMY OF WHOLE LEARNING Lionsgate Academy	Minnetonka Minnetonka	MN MN

Autism Schools in Missouri

School	City	State
MARYGROVE SERVICES, INC. Miriam: The Learning Disability Experts	Florissant St. Louis	MO MO

Autism Schools in Montana

School	City	State
ACADIA MONTANA	Butte	MT

Autism Schools in North Carolina

School	City	State
THE FLETCHER ACADEMY Hill Tutoring of Raleigh The John Crosland School Just Right Academy Mariposa School for Children with Autism Noble Academy Great Accomplishments Academy	Raleigh Raleigh Charlotte Chapel Hill Cary Greensboro Wilson	NC NC NC NC NC NC NC

Autism Schools in New Hampshire

School	City	State
THE BIRCHTREE CENTER	Newington	NH

Autism Schools in New Jersey

School	City	State
Alpine Learning Group ARCHBISHOP DAMIANO SCHOOL ARCHWAY THE ARC OF ESSEX COUNTY’S STEPPING STONES SCHOOL BENWAY SCHOOL BROOKFIELD SCHOOLS Children’s Institute COLLIER SCHOOL THE DERON SCHOOL OF NEW JERSEY. INC. DERON SCHOOL II OF N.J. ECLC of New Jersey THE EDEN SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR INSTRUCTING CHILDREN Forum School GARFIELD PARK ACADEMY GATEWAY SCHOOL GERSH ACADEMY (COMING SOON) HAMPTON ACADEMY HIGH POINT SCHOOL OF BERGEN COUNTY Institute for Educational Achievement (IEA) KINGSWAY LEARNING CENTER – ELEMENTARY PROGRAM KINGSWAY LEARNING CENTER – SECONDARY PROGRAM LORD STIRLING SCHOOL NJEDDA SCHOOLS Princeton Child Development Institute (PCDI) WASHINGTON ACADEMY YCS SAWTELLE LEARNING CENTER YCS GEORGE WASHINGTON SCHOOL	Paramus Westville Atco Roseland Wayne Cherry Hill Verona Wickatunk Union Montclair Ho-Ho-Kus Princeton Paramus Waldwick Willingboro Carteret Rockaway Mt. Holly Lodi New Milford Haddonfield Moorestown Basking Ridge Clifton Princeton Belleville Montclair Hackensack	NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ

Autism Schools in New York

School	City	State
Ascent ADAPT COMMUNITY NETWORK – BRONX CHILDREN’S PROGRAM ADAPT COMMUNITY NETWORK – BROOKLYN CHILDREN’S PROGRAM ADAPT COMMUNITY NETWORK – MANHATTAN CHILDREN’S PROGRAM ADAPT COMMUNITY NETWORK – STATEN ISLAND CHILDREN’S PROGRAM ASTOR LEARNING CENTER Autism Services Inc. BROOKVILLE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S SERVICES BUFFALO HEARING & SPEECH CENTER CAROL AND FRANK BIONDI EDUCATION CENTER CENTER FOR DISABILITY SERVICES THE CHILDREN’S CENTER AT UCP THE CHILD SCHOOL / LEGACY HIGH SCHOOL CHILDREN’S LEARNING CENTER (CP NASSAU COUNTY) CHILDREN’S UNIT FOR TREATMENT AND EVALUATION DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES INSTITUTE GERSH ACADEMY – WEST HEMPSTEAD GERSH ACADEMY – WEST HILLS GERSH ACADEMY – MANHATTAN THE GILLEN BREWER SCHOOL HENRIETTA G. LEWIS CAMPUS SCHOOL Imagine Academy JOHN A. COLEMAN SCHOOL New York Child Learning Institute (NYCLI) NYC Department of Education ASD Nest Program PRIME TIME FOR KIDS SCHOOL FOR ADAPTIVE AND INTEGRATED LEARNING (SAIL) AT FERNCLIFF MANOR SUMMIT ACADEMY WOODWARD CHILDREN’S CENTER	Deer Park Bronx Brooklyn New York Staten Island Rhinebeck Williamsville Brookville Buffalo Yonkers Queensbury Commack Roosevelt Island Roosevelt Binghamton Smithtown West Hempstead Huntington New York New York Lockport Brooklyn Yonkers College Point New York New City Yonkers Getzville Freeport	NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY

Autism Schools in Nevada

School	City	State
Variety School	Las Vegas	NV

Autism Schools in Ohio

School	City	State
Haugland Learning Center JULIE BILLIART SCHOOL The Autism Academy of Learning	Columbus Lyndhurst Toledo	OH OH OH

Autism Schools in Oklahoma

School	City	State
Oxford Learning Oklahoma Tulsa Tutoring	Tulsa	OK

Autism Schools in Oregon

School	City	State
New Leaf Academy	Bend	OR

Autism Schools in Pennsylvania

School	City	State
ACLD TILLOTSON SCHOOL BARBER NATIONAL INSTITUTE – ELIZABETH LEE BLACK SCHOOL Camphill Special School THE HILLSIDE SCHOOL LINCOLN CHARTER SCHOOL NEW STORY NEW STORY CLEARFIELD NEW STORY DUBOIS NEW STORY DUBOIS NEW STORY INDIANA NEW STORY MONROEVILLE NEW STORY THROOP OUR LADY OF CONFIDENCE SCHOOL Pace School The Phelps School THE SCHOOL AT MCGUIRE MEMORIAL Spectrum Charter School, Inc.	Pittsburgh Erie Glenmoore Macungie York Wyoming Clearfield Dubois Indiana Monroeville Throop Willow Grove Pittsburgh Malvern New Brighton Monroeville	PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA

Autism Schools in Rhode Island

School	City	State
The Center for Early Childhood Education (Preschool) Early Intervention Groden Center THE SPURWINK SCHOOL	Providence Pawtucket Providence Lincoln	RI RI RI RI

Autism Schools in South Carolina

School	City	State
Glenforest School Trident Academy	West Columbia Mount Pleasant	SC SC

Autism Schools in Tennessee

School	City	State
Bradford Special School District Currey Ingram Academy	Bradford Brentwood	TN TN

Autism Schools in Texas

School	City	State
BAYES ACHIEVEMENT CENTER Great Lakes Academy Monarch School THE NOTRE DAME SCHOOL OF DALLAS THE ST. ANTHONY SCHOOL Wind Rose Academy in Plano	Huntsville Plano Houston Dallas Carrollton Plano	TX TX TX TX TX TX

Autism Schools in Utah

School	City	State
HERITAGE SCHOOLS, INC. McKay School of Education SPECTRUM ACADEMY ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY SPECTRUM ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL SPECTRUM ACADEMY INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL SPECTRUM ACADEMY STARS CAMPUS SPECTRUM ACADEMY ELEMENTARY STILLWATER ACADEMY	Provo Provo Pleasant Grove North Salt Lake North Salt Lake North Salt Lake North Salt Lake South Jordan	UT UT UT UT UT UT UT UT

Autism Schools in Virginia

School	City	State
THE BARRY ROBINSON CENTER CHESAPEAKE BAY ACADEMY THE GLADYS H OBERLE SCHOOL NORTHSTAR ACADEMY Virginia Institute of Autism (VIA)	Norfolk Virginia Beach Fredericksburg Richmond Charlottesville	VA VA VA VA VA

Autism Schools in Vermont

School	City	State
THE GREENWOOD SCHOOL THE JEAN GARVIN SCHOOL MOSAIC LEARNING CENTER	Putney Williston South Burlington	VT VT VT

Autism Schools in Washington

School	City	State
Gersh Academy at Cougar Mountain Campus	Issaquah	WA

Autism Schools in Wisconsin

School	City	State
GENESEE LAKE SCHOOL HILLSIDE SCHOOL SONNENBERG LLC SCHOOL	Oconomowoc Waterford Mount Pleasant	WI WI WI

Want to recommend a school for this list? Send us an email to info@angelsense.com with a link to their website.

9 Comments

Marion October 20, 2019 at 7:30 am - Reply

There is a special needs school in Las Vegas, Nevada that is for special needs that has great programs, ABA therapy, a sensory room and different things for kids up to 22 years old to learn to care for themselves. Ex: mock apartment, laundromat and cafe. There is also a garden and interesting field trips. They have a nurses office that looks like an emergency room. Each classroom comes with its own bathroom and quiet room. It is part of the school district and is free for those who qualify. Variety School Las Vegas
Amy Hulke October 21, 2019 at 7:06 am - Reply

Sonnenberg LLC is a fantastic autism school. They have 2 locations in Wisconsin. Pleasant Prairie Wi is ABA therapy school and in Mt Pleasant wisconsin has both the therapy center and a private school pre-k – 5th grade. My 6yr old is in kindergarten there and prior to that he went to the pleasant prairie location for 2 years. They have made such a wonderful difference in my sons life. He is doing so well. Every staff member from both centers have been so amazing. Absolutely no complaints about either location. Please add them to you autism school list.
Sarah Dillard October 25, 2019 at 6:37 pm - Reply

Spectrum Academy in Pleasant Grove, Utah
And
Spectrum Academy in North Salt Lake City, Utah
Alecia Vaughan October 27, 2019 at 5:07 pm - Reply

My so attends Dickens Sanomi Academy
6820 W Sunrise Blvd
Plantation Broward FL 33313. How can this private school get added to this list.
Valeria Castro November 1, 2019 at 3:19 am - Reply

My son goes to South Florida Autism Charter School and it’s a great school. It’s not on this list though.
Brinna Stanton November 3, 2019 at 8:03 pm - Reply

Add Great Accomplishments Academy to the top autism schools list. It’s in Wilson, NC.
Kimberley Yocom December 19, 2019 at 6:42 am - Reply

There is a new school in Mandeville, Louisiana that has only been open for a little over a year. It serves children with autism. It is absolutely amazing!!! It’s called Piece of Mind Academic Support Center. It is one of the best I’ve ever seen. If you live in Southern Louisiana or Mississippi and have a child with autism or any other special need- go check it out.
DANIELLE BERRY April 6, 2021 at 5:28 pm - Reply

My son goes to The Children’s School in Irvine CA, . It is a private school for kids with ADHD, high functioning ASD and other behavioral issues. We love this school!
Katy Cornelius June 5, 2021 at 12:52 am - Reply

My son Sydney is severely Autistic and goes to Boulevard Heights school in Fort Worth, TX. He’s 13 and can continue going there until he is 21. They are AMAZING! I completely trust them to teach and take care of him during school hours. When her finished high school he will go to the transition center where he will learn life skills as well as job skills.