Find Top Programs in Connecticut

Discover Connecticut schools and centers with individualized instruction, low student-teacher ratios, and integrated social-emotional support. Browse programs across 34 cities with 83 total programs.

Programs Listed

Cities Covered

Let us help you find the right fit

Our team can match your child with schools in Connecticut.

Cities with Schools in Connecticut

Explore schools across 34 cities in Connecticut. Use search to quickly find schools in your area.

Popular Cities

Cities with the most schools

All Cities A-Z

34 cities total

Cities Starting with A

1 city

Ansonia

1 school

Ansonia, Connecticut

Cities Starting with B

4 cities

Berlin

1 school

Berlin, Connecticut

Bethlehem

1 school

Bethlehem, Connecticut

Bridgeport

2 schools

Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bristol

3 schools

Bristol, Connecticut

Cities Starting with C

2 cities

Canton

1 school

Canton, Connecticut

Colchester

1 school

Colchester, Connecticut

Cities Starting with E

1 city

Easton

2 schools

Easton, Connecticut

Cities Starting with F

1 city

Fairfield

2 schools

Fairfield, Connecticut

Cities Starting with G

1 city

Guilford

1 school

Guilford, Connecticut

Cities Starting with H

2 cities

Hamden

3 schools

Hamden, Connecticut

Hartford

2 schools

Hartford, Connecticut

Cities Starting with M

3 cities

Meriden

1 school

Meriden, Connecticut

Middletown

1 school

Middletown, Connecticut

Milford

2 schools

Milford, Connecticut

Cities Starting with N

7 cities

New Britain

1 school

New Britain, Connecticut

New Haven

16 schools

New Haven, Connecticut

New London

2 schools

New London, Connecticut

Niantic

1 school

Niantic, Connecticut

North Haven

2 schools

North Haven, Connecticut

Norwalk

1 school

Norwalk, Connecticut

Norwich

6 schools

Norwich, Connecticut

Cities Starting with O

1 city

Orange

2 schools

Orange, Connecticut

Cities Starting with S

2 cities

Shelton

6 schools

Shelton, Connecticut

Stamford

2 schools

Stamford, Connecticut

Cities Starting with T

3 cities

Terryville

1 school

Terryville, Connecticut

Torrington

6 schools

Torrington, Connecticut

Trumbull

2 schools

Trumbull, Connecticut

Cities Starting with W

6 cities

Wallingford

2 schools

Wallingford, Connecticut

West Hartford

3 schools

West Hartford, Connecticut

Willimantic

1 school

Willimantic, Connecticut

Wilton

2 schools

Wilton, Connecticut

Windsor

1 school

Windsor, Connecticut

Winsted

2 schools

Winsted, Connecticut

Special Education in Connecticut: What Parents Need to Know

Connecticut runs its evaluation clock in school days, not calendar days, which is the first thing to understand before you request a referral. The IEP team itself has its own name here too: Connecticut calls it a PPT, the Planning and Placement Team, and you will hear that acronym at every stage from referral through placement. And when a public program cannot meet a child's needs, the district does not simply write a check for any private school. It places the student, through the PPT, into a program the state has already reviewed and approved: an Approved Private Special Education Program, or APSEP.

We currently list 83 specialized schools and programs across 34 communities in Connecticut.

Evaluation and IEP timelines in Connecticut

Connecticut measures its evaluation timeline in school days rather than calendar days, and it covers more than just testing. Once a referral is made and the district has your consent, it has 45 school days to complete the entire sequence: evaluate the child, determine eligibility, and, if the child qualifies, develop and implement the IEP. The 45-day count does not include the time it takes to obtain your consent, so the clock starts running once you sign, not when the referral is first made. A referral that lands right before a school break can stretch out in real-world weeks even though the school-day count stays the same, so plan around the district calendar, not just the number 45.

45 school days from parental consent to complete evaluation, determine eligibility, and develop and implement the IEP if the child qualifies
The 45 school-day count excludes the time needed to obtain your consent to evaluate
For a child turning three, the district must determine eligibility and implement the IEP by the third birthday when the referral arrives within 45 school days of that birthday
The district must give you evaluation results at least three school days before the PPT meeting where they are first discussed
Parents and the district can mutually agree to extend the eligibility timeline specifically when a specific learning disability is suspected

How Connecticut families pay for a specialized placement

Connecticut has no private school voucher or education savings account program. Families have pushed for one, but as of this writing it does not exist, so a specialized private placement is not something a Connecticut family can shop for out of a state-funded account the way a family in some other states can. What Connecticut does have is a placement pathway that runs entirely through the IEP process: if the PPT determines the district cannot provide an appropriate education in-district, it can place and fund the student at an Approved Private Special Education Program, meaning the district, not the family, pays. Outside the school system, the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) provides services and supports for individuals with intellectual disability and, separately, for individuals with autism over age three who do not have an intellectual disability. These are eligibility-based state supports, not a school-funding mechanism, and they run alongside rather than instead of the PPT process.

No voucher or education savings account program exists in Connecticut for K-12 private school tuition
A private special education placement is typically district-funded, decided by the PPT, and made only to a CSDE-Approved Private Special Education Program (APSEP)
The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) has separate eligibility tracks for intellectual disability and for autism (over age three), run apart from the school district
For a child under three, funding and services run through Birth to Three, not the school district

Types of Special Needs Schools in Connecticut

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

Approved Private Special Education Programs (APSEP)

Private schools that the Connecticut State Department of Education has reviewed and approved to serve students with disabilities. A family cannot simply apply and enroll: placement happens when a student's PPT determines the district cannot meet the child's needs in-district and places the student at an approved program, with the district paying at CSDE-set per diem rates.

Best for: Students whose PPT has determined they need a more intensive or specialized setting than the district can provide

Independent schools with learning support

Private schools outside the APSEP system that serve students with learning differences, ADHD, or mild support needs, typically paid for privately through tuition rather than through the PPT process.

Best for: Students whose needs are being met through a Section 504 plan or a lighter level of support than a district placement would require

Autism and developmental programs

Programs, some APSEP-approved and some private-pay, built around structured teaching, communication support, and behavior intervention, often working alongside a BCBA or partner ABA provider.

Best for: Students on the autism spectrum who need a structured, low-sensory environment and dedicated communication support

Therapeutic day programs

Programs that combine academics with counseling and behavioral support for students whose emotional or behavioral needs have made a traditional classroom unworkable. Most operate as APSEPs and are reached through the PPT.

Best for: Students with emotional disabilities or a pattern of school disruption that a general education classroom cannot safely support

Connecticut Special Needs School Questions

How long does an IEP evaluation take in Connecticut?

Connecticut gives the district 45 school days from the date you give consent to complete the evaluation, determine eligibility, and, if your child qualifies, develop and implement the IEP. That count is in school days, not calendar days, and it excludes the time it takes to get your consent in the first place, so build in extra real-world time around school breaks.

What is a PPT and how is it different from an IEP team in other states?

PPT stands for Planning and Placement Team, and it is Connecticut's name for the team that other states usually call the IEP team. It must include you as the parent, a general education teacher, a special education teacher or provider, a district representative, someone who can interpret evaluation results, and, when appropriate, your child. The PPT processes referrals, reviews evaluations, decides eligibility, and writes, reviews, and revises the IEP.

How does a private special education placement actually happen in Connecticut?

It runs through the PPT, not through applying directly to a school. If the PPT decides the district cannot provide an appropriate education in-district, it can place your child at a CSDE Approved Private Special Education Program (APSEP), a private school the state has already reviewed and approved for this purpose. The district pays the program at state-set per diem rates. This is different from privately paying tuition at an independent school that is not part of the APSEP system.

Does Connecticut have a voucher or education savings account for special needs students?

No. Connecticut does not currently have a private school choice, voucher, or education savings account program, though advocacy for one has continued. Families cover an independent private school outside the APSEP system through tuition, and a district-funded APSEP placement is arranged through the PPT rather than paid for by the family.

Where are most of Connecticut's specialized school listings concentrated?

New Haven has the largest concentration of listings, followed by smaller clusters in Shelton, Torrington, Norwich, Hamden, and Bristol, spread across 34 Connecticut cities in total. If you are outside those hubs, it is worth checking both school and therapy-center listings nearby, since Connecticut also has a separate, sizable set of therapy-center listings statewide.

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

No. Children from birth to age three are served through Connecticut's Birth to Three System, the state's IDEA Part C early intervention program, not the school district. Referrals can come from anyone, though a family must consent to the eligibility evaluation. The school district takes over responsibility at age three, and a Birth to Three referral within 45 school days of the third birthday still triggers the district's obligation to determine eligibility and implement an IEP by that birthday.

Connecticut Guides & Resources

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

How to request a special education evaluation

The written referral that starts Connecticut's 45-school-day PPT clock, with wording you can adapt.

Complete IEP guide

What goes into an IEP and how to prepare for a Connecticut PPT meeting.

504 plan vs IEP

Which route fits your child, relevant if you are weighing an independent school against an APSEP placement.

Choosing a special needs school

Questions to ask when comparing an APSEP placement to a privately paid independent school in Connecticut.

Early intervention guide

For children under three, including Connecticut's Birth to Three System and the handoff to the district at age three.

ABA therapy centers in Connecticut

Autism therapy providers across Connecticut, useful alongside or instead of a school placement.

Autism rates by state

How Connecticut compares on autism identification rates, using federal data.

Restraint and seclusion by state

Federal civil rights data on restraint and seclusion incidents, including Connecticut districts.

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 83 schools and centers across 34 cities in Connecticut, we'll help you find the right educational environment for your child's unique needs.