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Top 10 Best Special Needs Schools in High Point, North Carolina (2026)

Compare 10 special needs schools in High Point. Explore the ranked list and find a program that feels right for your child.

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School listings in High Point

Photo from Growing the Distance Inc.'s official website
1

Growing the Distance Inc.

Listed
High Point, NC

Growing the Distance Inc. is a distinguished afterschool and summer camp program located in High Point, North Carolina, dedicated to nurturing children through a holistic approach that addresses their emotional, social, mental, and physical development. Serving a diverse range of students, this program is particularly beneficial for those with unique learning needs, providing an enriching environment where children can thrive academically and socially. The curriculum incorporates daily activities that include academic enrichment, STEM projects, recreational pursuits, and engaging clubs designed to foster creativity and collaboration. What sets Growing the Distance apart is its commitment to building strong bonds among parents, campers, and staff, ensuring a supportive community that encourages each child's growth. With a focus on creating lasting connections and promoting personal development in a safe and fun atmosphere, this program stands out as a premier choice for families seeking comprehensive support for their children's afterschool needs.

  • After school program
  • Private school
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The High Point Christian difference
3

High Point Christian Academy

Listed
High Point, NCGrades PreK-12

High Point Christian Academy, located in High Point, North Carolina, is dedicated to providing a Christ-centered education that nurtures students from preschool through high school. The school serves a diverse range of learners, including those with unique educational needs, by offering a rigorous curriculum that integrates Biblical principles across all subjects. With a strong emphasis on academic excellence, HPCA provides various programs, including Honors and Advanced Placement classes, as well as opportunities in the arts and athletics, ensuring that every student can discover and develop their God-given talents. The school's approach is characterized by a commitment to fostering a loving and supportive environment where students are known, loved, and valued. Unique to HPCA is its low student-teacher ratio, which allows for personalized attention and strong partnerships with families, enhancing the educational experience. Through community events and a focus on character development, High Point Christian Academy prepares students not only for academic success but also for a lifetime of faith, service, and leadership.

  • High school
  • Private school
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4

Kearns Academy

Listed
High Point, NCGrades 9-12Tuition-free

The Kearns Academy is a small public high school in High Point built around computer and information sciences. About 125 students attend, and we are both a Cooperative Innovative High School and a Guilford County Schools Signature Academy. Students take traditional academic courses, Honors and Advanced Placement classes, and Career and Technical Education, and through dual enrollment with Guilford Technical Community College they can earn college credit and industry-recognized certifications in computer and information sciences. Our size shapes daily life. Classes are small, and students and staff know one another well. Student supports include academic advisement, Exceptional Children (EC) services and multilingual support. Outside class, students join the Student Government Association, yearbook, robotics club, art club, the National Technical Honor Society, SkillsUSA, CyberPatriot and esports, and take part in athletics and service learning. The school carries the name of Dorothy "Dot" Kendall Kearns, a lifelong High Point resident who served on the city and county school boards. It took her name in 2016, when it was known as The Academy at High Point Central, and moved to its current home on McGuinn Drive in 2017.

  • Public high school (Cooperative Innovative High School)
  • Computer and information sciences
  • Small class sizes
  • Dual enrollment
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10

Triad International Studies Academy

Listed
High Point, NCGrades PreK-5

Triad International Studies Academy (TISA) stands out as the first multi-language immersion public charter school in the Piedmont-Triad area, dedicated to fostering a rich educational environment for K-2 students and fee-based Pre-K children. With a mission centered on language acquisition, strong academics, and leadership education, TISA provides a unique learning experience that integrates courses taught in Spanish and Chinese, enabling students to develop language skills naturally while cultivating intercultural competence essential for future global citizenship. The school is committed to academic excellence through an accelerated curriculum that particularly emphasizes math proficiency, ensuring that all students are challenged and engaged. Additionally, TISA's tiered leadership education programs empower students at every level, offering opportunities for personal growth both within and beyond the classroom. What truly differentiates TISA is its focus on building strong family partnerships and providing a supportive community that enhances student learning, making it an exceptional choice for parents seeking a nurturing yet academically rigorous environment for their children.

  • Public educational institution
  • Public school
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Planning guides

Plan your next school conversation in High Point

Use these guides before you contact programs, schedule tours, or ask your IEP team how a proposed setting will support your child's goals.

NC Opportunity Scholarship and ESA+ guide

Award tiers, deadlines, and the public-school document families need for ESA+.

NC Innovations Waiver and 1915(i) guide

How the Innovations waitlist works and the 1915(i) services families can use with no waitlist.

How to choose a special needs school

Prepare school-tour questions, compare supports and family communication, and record what each program can show you.

IEP process guide

Bring your IEP, progress evidence, and focused questions to conversations about evaluations, services, or placement.

Also Looking for ABA Therapy?

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Comparing school options in High Point

High Point families searching for autism schools near them compare three routes: Guilford County Schools (GCS) services written into an IEP, public charter schools, and private schools paid by tuition or a North Carolina scholarship. GCS serves both High Point and Greensboro, so most families start with the same district office and its neighborhood-school locator.

GCS Exceptional Children services cover a full continuum of settings, with separate leaders for preschool (ages 3 and 4), elementary and secondary students. An EC Parent Liaison helps families who are new to special education. Students whose parents place them in private school are referred through a dedicated GCS office for parentally placed students. That office matters in High Point, where many families weigh private schools funded by ESA+, which requires a public school Eligibility Determination.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Special Needs Schools in High Point

Where can autistic children go to school in High Point?
Most autistic students in High Point attend a GCS school, with services and setting chosen by the IEP team from the district's full continuum. Private and specialized schools in the listings set their own admissions. Ask how many autistic students they enroll now, whether a speech-language pathologist works on campus, and how they handle sensory breaks. For therapy outside school, see ABA therapy in High Point.
How do High Point schools support dyslexia and ADHD?
A GCS evaluation decides whether reading or attention problems qualify your child for an IEP, and that public Eligibility Determination is also the document ESA+ requires. At private schools, ask whether teachers use a structured literacy program, how often a reading specialist meets your child, and which organization supports are built into homework and tests. See our ADHD school support guide.
Public, charter or private in High Point: who pays for services?
GCS schools and public charter schools provide IEP services at no cost, and charter students keep every federal special education right. Private tuition belongs to the family unless a scholarship covers it. Once you place a child privately, there is no individual right to the full IEP; GCS handles those students through its office for parentally placed private school students.
Which North Carolina scholarships can a High Point family use in 2026-27?
Two state programs can help a High Point family pay a private school. ESA+ is the disability account: it needs a GCS or other North Carolina public school Eligibility Determination from the past three years, since a 504 plan or a doctor's letter will not qualify. Funded students are chosen by lottery, and the child must be enrolled by October 1. The Opportunity Scholarship scales tuition help to household income. See our NC scholarship guide.
What should I ask on a High Point school tour?
Bring your child's IEP or Eligibility Determination and ask the school to walk through an ordinary day with it. Who holds a special education license? How many students share each adult? Which therapies happen in the building, and which would you arrange outside? What do staff do when a child shuts down? How often do written progress notes come home?
How do I start an evaluation with Guilford County Schools?
Contact your child's school or the GCS Exceptional Children office and put the request in writing so the date is on record. For a 3- or 4-year-old, ask for the preschool EC team. If the process is new to you, the EC Parent Liaison answers questions for new families. A child in private school is referred through the GCS parentally placed students office.
Do High Point private schools accept ESA+?
Ask each school directly before you apply. When a private school student uses ESA+, the money goes to tuition first, and only the remainder can cover other allowable expenses. Ask the business office how it bills ESA+ and the Opportunity Scholarship, and which extra services your child would still pay for out of pocket.
Is there help for High Point children under 5?
Yes. GCS has its own preschool Exceptional Children director and coordinator for children ages 3 and 4, and the district's continuum includes preschool services decided by an IEP team. For a baby or toddler under 3, our early intervention guide explains how birth-to-three referrals work.

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