Best Special Needs Schools in Haines City, Florida (2026)

Kids Academy Learning Special Education is a privately owned school for pre-K through fifth grade in Haines City, founded to serve children with special learning needs and specific learning disabilities, including students with autism. Classes are small, and instruction is individualized, using multi-sensory, cross-modal teaching to address each student's specific skill gaps. For students with autism, we use the STAR Autism Support program, which teaches skills identified by the National Research Council through applied behavior analysis methods: discrete trial training, pivotal response training and functional routines. Elementary students also work in IXL, an online K-5 curriculum covering math, language arts, science, social studies and Spanish, and our pre-K classes use Frog Street, an early childhood curriculum built on themes, songs and hands-on activities. Our principal also serves as lead teacher and behavior specialist, and our staff includes a Registered Behavior Technician with years of experience supporting children with autism. Tuition can be paid through Florida's Step Up For Students scholarship programs, including FES-UA. As a private school, we provide services through our own program rather than under IDEA.

• Private special education school (PreK-5)
• Autism
• Learning differences
• Small class sizes

Kids Academy Lighthouse School is a private educational institution dedicated to serving students with special learning needs and specific learning disabilities. The core mission of the school is to empower exceptional students by providing a nurturing environment that fosters their spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, and social development. The school emphasizes the importance of individualized educational therapy and small class sizes to address the unique learning differences of each student. Key offerings at Kids Academy Lighthouse include a range of specialized programs and therapeutic methodologies designed to support diverse learning styles. The school employs multi-sensory, cross-modal instruction to remediate specific deficits, utilizing approaches such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Orton-Gillingham for reading difficulties, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy. Additionally, social skills groups are available to enhance interpersonal communication and relationship-building among peers. What sets Kids Academy Lighthouse apart is its commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment. With a low student-teacher ratio, educators can provide personalized attention and tailored instruction to meet each child's needs. The school also integrates specialized technology to enhance learning experiences and offers vocational training opportunities to prepare students for future success. Summer programs and community integration initiatives further enrich the educational journey, ensuring that students not only learn but thrive as active participants in society.

• Special education school
• Learning differences
• Private school