High Road School of Anne Arundel County

Sheppard Pratt School in Millersville Elementary is a 10-month special education program operated by Sheppard Pratt inside Millersville Elementary School at 1601 Millersville Road in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It serves students in grades one through five who have autism spectrum disorder, multiple disabilities, and other health impairments. Because the program sits within a working public elementary school, students share access to the building's facilities and resources, including the library and media room, art, music, physical education, and aquatics classes, the playground, and a shared sensory and motor skills room. The program is a Type II school approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). The program is small by design. It has capacity for 18 students, split into two classrooms grouped by age and grade level to keep the setting calm and predictable. The multidisciplinary team includes an education director, special education teachers, program coordinators, a social worker, resource counselors, and educational assistants. Day-to-day support covers small class sizes with a low student-to-staff ratio, individual and group counseling, support during mainstream classes, resource support, and individualized academic instruction. Speech and language therapy and occupational therapy are provided as needed by the local school system. Instruction is hands-on and practical. Teachers lean on structure, routines, pictures, and sequencing, and each classroom has an interactive whiteboard and computers for current events, supplemental teaching, and earned computer time. The program builds in sensory breaks, fitness, and motor-skill work alongside academics. Vocational training is a regular part of the day: students take on classroom "jobs" such as collecting, sorting, and delivering the mail to practice responsibility, language, and problem solving. Staff also take students into the community to work on communication, social, and coping skills as they prepare for more independent futures. Admission runs entirely through the public system. All students come from Anne Arundel County, and referrals are made directly by Anne Arundel County Public Schools, so there is no private application or tuition path described on the site. Families considering the program would coordinate placement through their county school team.

4STEPS Therapeutic Riding Program is a nonprofit therapeutic riding center on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, located in the Wicomico Forest at 5367 Sixty Foot Rd in Parsonsburg. Sandy Winter founded the program in 2002, and it operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and a PATH International Member Center. The program serves children and adults with disabilities, including developmental, emotional, and physical challenges, using therapeutic riding and equine assisted activities. The farm setting includes an outdoor arena, a covered arena, and sensory trails, so sessions can run year round and move outdoors for trail rides through the forest. Programs cover both mounted and unmounted work. Therapeutic and Recreational Riding focuses on horsemanship and basic riding skills while working on muscle strength, coordination, balance, stamina, self confidence, and social interaction. Equine Assisted Learning and Horsemanship offers unmounted, experiential activities on the farm. The HORSEPOWER Empowerment Program uses horses for communication, problem solving, team building, and emotional growth, built around its four parts of Healing, Learning, Growing, and Riding. Equi-Thera-Play pairs horses with sensory stations, crafts, and outdoor play and is geared toward children, with an emphasis on social skills and engagement that fits families navigating autism. The center also runs HORSEPLAY, an adaptive summer camp, and Operation Charlie Horse, which provides riding lessons, trail rides, and seasonal trail ride socials for veterans, active and retired military, and their families. Private, one-on-one lessons are available for participants who prefer individual instruction, and programs can be tailored to individual needs. Summer camp cost varies according to available funding, so families should contact the program directly about pricing and any financial assistance. Instruction comes from certified therapeutic riding instructors, including PATH Intl Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors (CTRI) and CHA-certified instructors for riders with disabilities, supported by a trained volunteer team that helps keep sessions safe. Every participant completes an application and health history before riding. The 2026 spring session runs from March 3rd through May 23rd. The program can be reached at giddyup4steps@aol.com.

A Child's Garden is a preschool and daycare in Severna Park, Maryland, founded in 2001 as a sister school to nearby Wee Lad & Lassie. It is built around the very young learner, with a toddler program starting at 18 months, a 2-year-old program (split into young twos and older twos), and a 3-year-old program. Morning preschool classes run from 9 a.m. to noon, and full-day extended care runs from 7:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. for working families. Attendance is flexible, with schedules ranging from two half-days a week up to five full days. The school is accredited by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), which it earned in 2005 through the Early Childhood Accreditation Project, and it holds a Check Level 5 rating, the highest tier under the Maryland EXCELS quality program, awarded in 2015. The program teaches Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and the Arts through hands-on, play-based activities, and it keeps adult-to-child ratios and group sizes low so teachers can individualize instruction. Teaching staff are degreed and work from developmentally appropriate practice, and the school treats parents as partners in the learning community. A Child's Garden specializes in the care of children with food allergies and operates as a peanut and tree nut free facility. It maintains a Disability Nondiscrimination Policy and points families toward Anne Arundel County special education and ADA resources. The school also runs themed summer camps that mix outdoor play with reading, projects, and weekly themes, held at either the A Child's Garden site or the Wee Lad & Lassie campus at 1281 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd in Arnold, MD. For enrollment, families register by appointment with a $100 registration fee, a two-week deposit, and a signed contract. The school accepts CCS, Childcare Aware, and MCCYN payments. New school year enrollment opens in February, and tours can be scheduled on weekdays between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. by calling the office at (410) 647-2300.