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Find Top Programs in California

Discover California schools and centers with individualized instruction, low student-teacher ratios, and integrated social-emotional support. Browse programs across 288 cities with 889 total programs.

889
Programs Listed
288
Cities Covered

Let us help you find the right fit

Our team can match your child with schools in California.

Featured Providers in California

Compare highlighted schools and ABA therapy centers serving families across California.

Cities with Schools in California

Explore schools across 288 cities in California. Use search to quickly find schools in your area.

All Cities A-Z

288 cities total
J

Cities Starting with J

1 city
K

Cities Starting with K

1 city
S

Cities Starting with S

41 cities

Sacramento

4
4 schools
Sacramento, California

Salinas

2
2 schools
Salinas, California

San Bruno

1
1 school
San Bruno, California

San Carlos

1
1 school
San Carlos, California

San Diego

6
6 schools
San Diego, California

San Francisco

6
6 schools
San Francisco, California

San Gabriel

1
1 school
San Gabriel, California

San Jacinto

13
13 schools
San Jacinto, California

San Jose

12
12 schools
San Jose, California

San Juan Capistrano

8
8 schools
San Juan Capistrano, California

San Lorenzo

4
4 schools
San Lorenzo, California

San Luis Obispo

11
11 schools
San Luis Obispo, California

San Mateo

12
12 schools
San Mateo, California

San Rafael

2
2 schools
San Rafael, California

San Ramon

3
3 schools
San Ramon, California

Sanger

3
3 schools
Sanger, California

Santa Ana

1
1 school
Santa Ana, California

Santa Barbara

11
11 schools
Santa Barbara, California

Santa Clarita

1
1 school
Santa Clarita, California

Santa Cruz

1
1 school
Santa Cruz, California

Santa Paula

3
3 schools
Santa Paula, California

Santa Rosa

3
3 schools
Santa Rosa, California

Saratoga

2
2 schools
Saratoga, California

Seaside

1
1 school
Seaside, California

Sebastopol

2
2 schools
Sebastopol, California

Selma

2
2 schools
Selma, California

Shafter

1
1 school
Shafter, California

Sherman Oaks

1
1 school
Sherman Oaks, California

Shingle Springs

2
2 schools
Shingle Springs, California

Simi Valley

9
9 schools
Simi Valley, California

Soledad

3
3 schools
Soledad, California

South Gate

4
4 schools
South Gate, California

South Lake Tahoe

6
6 schools
South Lake Tahoe, California

South San Francisco

4
4 schools
South San Francisco, California

Spring Valley

3
3 schools
Spring Valley, California

Stevenson Ranch

1
1 school
Stevenson Ranch, California

Stockton

4
4 schools
Stockton, California

Studio City

1
1 school
Studio City, California

Summerland

1
1 school
Summerland, California

Sunnyvale

1
1 school
Sunnyvale, California

Sutter Creek

1
1 school
Sutter Creek, California

Special Education in California: What Parents Need to Know

California runs the largest special education system in the country, and two things about it surprise families moving from other states. First, California has no voucher or education savings account program: there is no state check families can direct toward private school tuition on their own. Second, the private schools that do serve students under an IEP are almost always operating inside the public system, not outside it. A California private school that enrolls IEP students has to be certified by the California Department of Education as a Nonpublic School (NPS), and it is the school district, not the parent, that places a student there and pays the tuition through the IEP process. Understanding the NPS model changes how you should read every listing on this page.

We currently list 889 specialized schools and programs across 288 communities in California.

Evaluation and IEP timelines in California

California moves faster than the federal minimum at the front end of the process. Once you refer your child for assessment, the district has 15 calendar days to draft and send you a proposed assessment plan, not counting days that fall between school sessions or during a vacation longer than five school days. You then have at least 15 calendar days to review that plan before deciding whether to consent. The clock that determines eligibility starts when you sign consent: the district has 60 calendar days from that date to complete the assessment and hold the IEP team meeting that determines eligibility and areas of need, and that window is also tolled for school breaks longer than five days. If the team finds your child eligible, a separate 30-day window applies to developing the actual IEP.

  • Assessment plan due within 15 calendar days of your referral, not counting school breaks longer than 5 school days (Cal. Educ. Code § 56043(a), § 56321(a))
  • You have at least 15 calendar days after receiving the assessment plan to consent (Cal. Educ. Code § 56043(b))
  • Eligibility determination and the IEP team meeting are due within 60 calendar days of your signed consent, tolled for school breaks over 5 days (Cal. Educ. Code § 56043(c), § 56302.1)
  • If your child is found eligible, the IEP itself is developed within 30 days of that determination (Cal. Educ. Code § 56043(f)(2), § 56344(a))
  • The IEP is implemented as soon as possible after you consent to it, and the district must reassess every 3 years unless you and the district agree in writing to skip it (Cal. Educ. Code § 56043(i), § 56043(k))

How California families pay for a specialized placement

California does not have a private school choice program of any kind: no voucher, no education savings account, no tax-credit scholarship that a parent can apply for directly. That single fact reroutes most of what families use to pay for a specialized placement. The main public route is a district-funded Nonpublic School placement made through the IEP: if the IEP team decides the district cannot provide an appropriate education in a public setting, the district refers the student to a CDE-certified NPS, contracts with it through the local SELPA, and pays the tuition, not the parent. Outside the IEP, Regional Centers, established under the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, serve people with qualifying developmental disabilities of any age, but state law blocks them from paying for anything a school district is already legally responsible for, so they do not fund NPS tuition or general classroom instruction. What Regional Centers do fund for school-age children sits alongside school: respite care, social-skills and behavioral services, specialized child care, camp and social-recreation programs, and family support. Families who want a private placement the district will not fund, or who choose an ordinary private school that is not CDE-certified, pay privately or through the school’s own financial aid.

  • No statewide voucher or education savings account program exists in California as of 2026
  • District-funded Nonpublic School (NPS) placement through the IEP is the main route into a specialized private school
  • Regional Centers (Lanterman Act) cannot pay for services a school district already owes your child, including tuition, so they fund non-educational supports like respite, behavior services, and camp instead
  • Ordinary private schools that are not CDE-certified as an NPS are a private-pay option; the district has no obligation to fund them
  • For children birth to age 3, contact your local Regional Center about Early Start rather than the school district

Types of Special Needs Schools in California

Not every placement type exists in every state. These are the settings families actually find in California.

Certified Nonpublic Schools (NPS)

Private, nonsectarian schools certified by the California Department of Education specifically to enroll students under an IEP. A school district places a student here through the IEP team, contracts with the school through the local SELPA, and pays the tuition. This is the placement type built for students the district itself has decided it cannot serve appropriately in a public classroom.

Best for: Students whose IEP team has documented that public school settings, even with added supports, are not meeting their needs

Private schools without NPS certification

Independent schools that serve students with learning differences, ADHD, or other needs but are not certified by the CDE to enroll IEP students on a district-funded basis. Families pay privately or through the school’s own aid, and the district has no funding obligation here even if your child has an IEP.

Best for: Families who want a specific program or environment and are prepared to pay privately, or whose child does not need the level of restriction an NPS placement implies

Autism and ABA-integrated programs

Programs, some CDE-certified as an NPS and others operating as a Nonpublic Agency (NPA) partnered with a school, built around structured teaching and on-site behavior support, often with a BCBA on staff. Concentrated in the Bay Area, Los Angeles Basin, and Sacramento Valley metros.

Best for: Students on the autism spectrum who need communication support and consistent behavior programming woven into the school day

Therapeutic and behavioral day programs

Placements that combine academics with counseling and behavior intervention for students whose emotional or behavioral needs have made a traditional campus unworkable. Most operate as certified NPS programs so a district can place and fund a student there through the IEP.

Best for: Students with emotional disabilities or a pattern of school refusal, suspension, or repeated crisis in a general education setting

California Special Needs School Questions

How long does an IEP evaluation take in California?

The district has 15 calendar days from your referral to send a proposed assessment plan, then at least 15 more calendar days for you to review it before consenting. Once you sign, the district has 60 calendar days to complete the assessment and hold the eligibility meeting, and that 60-day window pauses for school breaks longer than five school days. Plan for roughly three months from your written referral to an eligibility decision, longer if the referral lands right before winter or summer break.

What is a Nonpublic School, and who pays for it?

A Nonpublic School (NPS) is a private, nonsectarian school certified by the California Department of Education to enroll students under an IEP. Placement happens through the IEP team, not by a parent applying directly, and once the team places a student there, the school district pays the tuition through a contract managed by the local SELPA. This is different from an ordinary private school: if a school is not CDE-certified as an NPS, the district has no obligation to fund a placement there even if your child has an IEP.

Does California have a voucher or education savings account for special education?

No. California does not have any private school choice program, including a voucher or education savings account, as of 2026. State lawmakers have considered tax-credit scholarships and ESA proposals in the past, and ballot initiatives have been proposed for future election cycles, but none is currently in effect. The funding routes that actually exist are a district-funded NPS placement through the IEP, Regional Center services for qualifying developmental disabilities, and private pay.

Where are California’s specialized schools concentrated?

Our directory lists 889 published school listings across 288 California cities, the largest footprint of any state we cover. The heaviest concentrations are in Alameda, Los Angeles, Cupertino, Cerritos, Folsom, and Hemet, with additional strength across the Bay Area, the Los Angeles Basin, and the Sacramento Valley. California also has 122 therapy-center listings, so it is worth checking both a school placement and a standalone ABA or speech therapy provider, especially if your child’s needs are more clinical than academic.

My child is under 3. Do I start with the school district?

No. Children from birth to age 3 are served by California’s Early Start program through your local Regional Center, not the school district. Early Start is California’s implementation of federal Part C early intervention, and it operates under the Lanterman Act and the California Early Intervention Services Act. The school district takes over responsibility at age 3, so the transition to an IEP should be in motion well before your child’s third birthday to avoid a gap in services.

California Guides & Resources

Next steps for families comparing schools, requesting an evaluation, or working out how to pay for a placement.

Sources for this page

State rules change. This page was last reviewed against primary sources on July 28, 2026. Confirm current requirements with your school district or the relevant state agency before making a decision.

Find Your Perfect Match

With 889 schools and centers across 288 cities in California, we'll help you find the right educational environment for your child's unique needs.