Top 5 Best Special Needs Schools in Orinda, California (2026)

At Del Rey Elementary School, we serve transitional kindergarten through 5th grade on El Camino Moraga as part of the Orinda Union School District. Reading starts with the 95 Percent Phonics program, math uses Math Expressions, science comes alive through FOSS kits, and social studies runs on InquirED. Every student takes part in STEAM and garden activities, and classrooms have iPad carts funded by the ONE Orinda education foundation. Students also have art, music, physical education, the library and English language development support, and the Second Step program builds social-emotional skills from TK on. The Dolphin Club provides before and after school care on campus, and after-school enrichment classes are offered as well. Del Rey is the district site for the Special Day Class (Moderate), which gives small-group instruction in core subjects based on each student's IEP. Students also receive push-in and pull-out help through the Instructional Support Program and our inclusion program, along with speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, and a district behavior specialist who conducts functional behavior assessments and builds behavior plans.

• Public elementary school (TK-5)
• STEAM
• School garden
• Inclusion classrooms

Glorietta Elementary School is one of the Orinda Union School District elementary schools, serving transitional kindergarten through fifth grade at the corner of Martha Road and Glorietta Boulevard. Our school-wide theme is Everybody Belongs Here. Character education, monthly community-building assemblies, buddy classes and anti-bias work with ADL shape the year, and students can join Student Council, Green Team, Safety Patrol and our Student Leader program. Literacy is built on Readers and Writers Workshop, and our youngest students use FOSS kits for hands-on science. Art, music and physical education are funded by our parent community. Classes also learn in our garden, an outdoor classroom tied to the state science standards, and in our STEAM program, where students code, design and build models. Students with IEPs get help through our Instructional Support Program, with an ISP specialist working inside the classroom or in a separate session. District speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and a behavior specialist also serve our students. Gopher Club offers before and after school care with snacks, arts and crafts, STEM and outdoor play, and the Lamorinda School Bus Program serves our campus.

• Public elementary school (TK-5)
• Readers and Writers Workshop
• STEAM
• Garden-based learning

Handwriting, organizing materials and managing classroom sensory input are among the school-participation skills our district's occupational therapists address for Orinda Intermediate students. Speech language pathologists support communication for participation in school. Behavior specialists conduct functional behavior assessments and develop intervention plans that teach replacement skills, connecting that specialist work with access to learning. We work through each student's Individualized Education Program team to determine placement and the amount of support the student needs. Our options include Instructional Support Program classes, inclusion support and a moderate Special Day Class. We use those settings to help students participate in challenging classroom work and develop skills beyond a single subject. In our inclusion program, general and special education staff work together in general education classrooms. Instructional Support Program classes provide a separate time for students to receive differentiated help with their academic work. Special Day Class teachers can address a student's IEP goals through English language arts, social studies, mathematics and science instruction.

• Middle school
• Learning differences
• Twice-exceptional
• Private school

Sleepy Hollow School in Orinda serves students from transitional kindergarten through grade 5 in the Orinda Union School District. Our motto is simple: everyone belongs, we encourage and support each other, and we do our personal best. Our garden is an outdoor classroom tied to the California Next Generation Science Standards, where students study plant life cycles, soil, ecosystems, and composting. We also offer STEAM, art, music, library, physical education, English Language Development, and after-school enrichment, and the Coyote Club provides before and after school care. Students with IEPs receive support through push-in and pull-out Instructional Support Program services, an inclusion program, and a moderate Special Day Class. Speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and a behavior specialist using Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans round out our services.

• Public elementary school (TK-5)
• Garden-based science
• STEAM
• Inclusion classrooms

Wagner Ranch Elementary serves children in Orinda through fifth grade. The campus vision encourages them to think critically, act compassionately and lead with purpose. Music is part of the regular school week: transitional-kindergarten students have 30-minute classroom lessons, while kindergarten through fifth grade have 40-minute lessons. Fourth- and fifth-graders can also choose instrumental study in brass, woodwinds or percussion, and the school holds concerts during the year. For students with IEPs, Orinda Union's Instructional Support Program can bring help into the classroom or provide it in a separate session. The district's Inclusion Program offers support in general education settings. Each student's IEP team determines the arrangement that fits their needs. These programs serve the school community without making Wagner Ranch a disability-specific campus. Families can reach the office at 350 Camino Pablo.

• Elementary school
• Public school