Best Special Needs Schools in Pasadena, California (2026)

Frostig School was founded in 1951 by Dr. Marianne Frostig, an Austrian emigre and early researcher in learning disabilities who started the school in her home. We moved to Pasadena in 1979 and have been on North Altadena Drive since 1987, and a second campus, Frostig School West, opened in 2019 to serve families on the westside of Los Angeles. We teach students in grades 1 to 12 with diagnosed learning differences, including dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, processing disorders, ADHD, high-functioning autism, and anxiety, and most of our students have more than one diagnosis. Classes have no more than six students per staff member, with a lead teacher and an assistant in each room, small-group instruction, multimodal teaching, and attention to sensory needs. We offer a social learning program, onsite clinical services, counseling, and a diploma track. Across both campuses we serve about 150 students from more than 30 cities and school districts in Southern California. We enroll both tuition-paying students and students funded by their school districts, accept applications year round, and offer financial aid.

• Private special education day school (grades 1-12)
• Dyslexia
• Dysgraphia
• Dyscalculia

The Westmoreland Academy, a program of the Institute for the Redesign of Learning, is a California Department of Education certified non-public school (NPS) located at 5 Westmoreland Place in Pasadena. It serves students with Autism Spectrum Disorders from kindergarten through grade 12, with additional transition programming through T4 for students ages 18-22. The school provides a specialized, evidence-based curriculum that meets individual student needs while aligning with referring school district and California State Board of Education standards. Instruction occurs in small classes (limited to 12 students) with a structured environment that includes visual supports, social skills programming, assistive technology, and on-campus therapies such as speech and language, occupational, and physical therapy. A diploma track follows standards-based curriculum; a certificate track emphasizes independent living, vocational, and self-help skills. Students are placed by school districts. The school is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) through 2026. Families and districts may contact the school for intake and observation.

• Private special education day school
• Autism
• Accredited
• Private school

Villa School is at 2116 East Villa Street, Pasadena, CA 91107. It serves students ages 5 to 22 with high support needs related to autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Elementary classes cover ages 5-10, with instruction in academics, communication, and motor skills. Intermediate life skills follows IEPs that emphasize daily living. High school tracks include life skills, transition, and vocational programs for students ages 15-22, including campus jobs such as the student store, library, and snack cart.

• Nonpublic school for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Autism
• Cerebral palsy
• Down syndrome