Best Special Needs Schools in Oak Park, Michigan (2026)

The Learning Disabilities Clinic opened in 1968 to diagnose and treat learning disorders in children and adults. We pair each student with a personally assigned teacher who holds a master's or Ph.D. degree for one-to-one instruction, in person or virtually, from our center on Coolidge Highway in Oak Park. We hold AdvancEd/North Central Association accreditation, which lets us offer alternative schooling for grades K to 12 in all subjects, course credit recovery that transfers to a student's school, credit for homeschoolers, and a Michigan high school diploma. Our specialists also provide diagnostic testing and evaluation, ACT and SAT preparation, and school consultation and IEPC advocacy. Our special needs instruction aligns with each student's IEP or Section 504 plan and covers learning disabilities, attention disorders, emotional and cognitive impairments, central auditory processing disorders, nonverbal learning disabilities, speech and language disorders, and the autism spectrum. Michigan families who adopt children with special needs and an IEP may qualify for tutoring subsidies through the state Department of Human Services, and we are a state-approved vendor for that benefit.

• Private tutoring center and alternative school
• Learning differences
• Attention disorders
• Emotional impairments

Oak Park High School is home to about 900 students in grades 9 to 12, who follow the Michigan Merit Curriculum with Honors courses in every core subject. Students who want more rigor take Advanced Placement classes here or at our affiliate, the Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts (CASA), and career-minded students extend their day at the Oakland Schools Technical Campuses. Our building includes the Hoffman Planetarium, a full-dome classroom with a SciDome IQ2400, along with nine computer labs, a Coding Studio, a robotics lab with 3-D printers, a TV production studio, a Little Theater and an auditorium with more than 700 seats. Through a partnership with Ascension Providence Hospital, students can get medical care at the health clinic inside the school. We hold a Michigan Green School designation, with three courtyards and a community garden. Our Knights compete in the Oakland Activities Association in football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, cheer, track, baseball and softball. Clubs include marching band, choir, drama, robotics, broadcast arts, HOSA, academic games and a step team. Oak Park School District specialized services provide special education evaluations and Section 504 plans.

• Public high school
• Advanced Placement courses
• Honors courses
• Career and technical education

Oak Park Preparatory Academy is the middle school of Oak Park Schools, serving grades 6 to 8 for students moving up from Einstein, Key and Pepper elementary schools. Our building adjoins Key Elementary. Students belong to a house system that gives each grade a team-like structure, and our core values are High Expectations, Respect, Collaboration and Communication. Sixth graders and students new to our building attend an orientation to see their schedules, tour the school and learn about after-school activities. Students can join clubs, extracurricular programs and competitive sports, and they take part in service projects and civic engagement with local organizations and businesses.

• Public middle school
• Public school