Best Special Needs Schools in Hilliard, Ohio (2026)

Compare 2 special needs schools in Hilliard. Explore the ranked list and find a program that feels right for your child.

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Foundations Learning Academy

Listed

Hilliard, OHAges 2-5

Foundations Learning Academy sits on a quiet street in Hilliard, just west of I-270 and away from the traffic of Cemetery Road. Inside, families find bright classrooms, and outside there is a large playground for daily outdoor play. We care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and pre-kindergarten children, with full-time and part-time schedules and a center open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Our preschool teachers use The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, a play-based, hands-on approach that weaves language, literacy and math through the day. Lessons also cover science, social studies, creative arts, logic and reasoning, motor skills and English language development, and each child's progress is assessed so teachers can plan for individual needs. Our teachers bring more than 104 years of combined experience in early childhood education, and many have been with us longer than five years. We keep teacher-to-child ratios low, serve meals through our nutrition program and send families real-time updates and photos through the Brightwheel app.

Child care center and preschool
Creative Curriculum
Play-based learning
Low teacher-to-child ratios

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Hilliard Montessori

Listed

Hilliard, OHAges 2-5

Hilliard Montessori opened in September 2010 in a church off Rome Hilliard Road as the first Montessori school in Hilliard, starting with a single Children's House classroom. In 2014 we moved to our current building on Trueman Boulevard and added a toddler program. In 2017 we opened a second Children's House classroom and a large multipurpose room for gross motor play, nap time, indoor play, and the dance and yoga classes included for children of all ages. Our Toddler Program serves children from 18 months to 3 years in a low-ratio classroom built around movement, art, vocabulary, practical life skills and sensory work. Children's House serves ages 3 to 6 in mixed-age classrooms, where younger children learn by watching older peers and everyone works with hands-on Montessori materials in Practical Life, Sensorial, Math, Language, Geography and Science, along with art and music. We are open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Families choose a full-time program from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or a half-time morning program from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., with morning care from 7 a.m. and evening care until 6 p.m.

Montessori preschool (18 months to 6 years)
Montessori
Mixed-age classrooms
Dance and yoga

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Planning guides

Plan your next school conversation in Hilliard

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

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.

Comparing school options in Hilliard

Hilliard City Schools is responsible for finding any child from birth through 21 with a suspected disability who lives within the Hilliard School District. The Special Education Department answers at 614-921-7000. For preschoolers ages 3 to 5, the district preschool takes screening requests directly at 614-921-5050. Eligibility follows the district boundary, not the city name.

Hilliard's preschool is designed mainly for children with mild to severe delays, with typically developing children admitted as peer models through a separate application. To qualify, a child must be 3 to 5, live in the district and be evaluated by a team. School-age concerns go to the Special Education Department or the building principal. Evaluation is free. If your child is under 3, Ohio's Help Me Grow Early Intervention is the statewide program.

Local resources checked October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions About Special Needs Schools in Hilliard

How do I get my preschooler screened in Hilliard?

Call the Hilliard preschool at 614-921-5050 to request a screening, and the preschool will contact you to schedule a date. The child must be 3 to 5 years old and live within the Hilliard City School District. A team then evaluates whether the child has a delay that qualifies for services. Peer-model applications are a separate process.

Who can refer a child to Hilliard's Child Find?

Anyone. Hilliard asks parents, relatives, agency staff, childcare providers, physicians and other community members to notify the district about any child from birth to 21 who may have a disability. The district then contacts the parents about next steps. Call the Special Education Department at 614-921-7000 or your building principal.

What counts as a disability for a Hilliard preschooler?

For ages 3 through 5, Hilliard describes a delay in physical, cognitive, communication, social or emotional, or adaptive development, or one of the IDEA conditions such as autism or a hearing impairment. A medical diagnosis is not required in Ohio. Our early intervention guide covers the move from infant services to preschool.

What happens after the district agrees to evaluate?

You meet with the team to plan the evaluation and give written consent. Ohio then gives the district 60 days to finish and decide eligibility, and 30 more days to develop an IEP if your child qualifies. Hilliard provides the evaluation at no cost. Our IEP prep checklist helps you prepare for the meeting.

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