Top 10 Best Special Needs Schools in Richmond, Virginia (2026)

Riverside School stands as a beacon of hope and empowerment for students in kindergarten through eighth grade who face the challenges of dyslexia and other language-based learning differences. Since its establishment in 1974, the school has dedicated itself to transforming the educational experience for these bright children by employing tailored teaching methods that align with their unique learning styles. Central to Riverside's approach is the Orton-Gillingham methodology, a structured, multisensory strategy that not only addresses the specific needs of students with dyslexia but also fosters a love for learning. The school prides itself on maintaining a low student-teacher ratio, ensuring personalized attention and support that nurtures each child's potential. Additionally, Riverside emphasizes strong partnerships with families, recognizing their vital role in the educational journey. With specialized facilities designed to enhance learning and a commitment to creating an inclusive community, Riverside School distinguishes itself as Virginia's most trusted institution for students with dyslexia, dedicated to helping them achieve their highest academic potential.

• Private educational institution
• Dyslexia
• Learning differences
• Accredited

At Amelia Street School, we build opportunities for students to develop the communication, functional, behavioral, and social-emotional skills they need in daily life. We work closely with parents and community partners to connect students with services and resources that support learning and participation in inclusive environments. Our educational programs help students strengthen practical skills and prepare for a successful return to their comprehensive schools. Our kindergarten-through-fifth-grade community includes 51 students and maintains a 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio. As part of Richmond Public Schools, our Eagles community brings students, families, and staff together around each learner’s growth, daily experience, and next steps.

• Special education school
• Intellectual disability
• Behavioral and emotional disabilities
• Complex health needs

The Steward School is an independent, college-preparatory day school in Richmond, Virginia, enrolling students from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12 across a Lower, Middle and Upper School. It is a mainstream private school, not a special education placement. Academic support is delivered through the Center for the Advancement of Learning (CAL), a named in-house program that pairs students with tutors, offers Orton-Gillingham based literacy instruction in the Lower School, and builds study, organization, time-management and self-advocacy skills in the Middle and Upper School. CAL coordinates annual screenings tied to speech, language and motor development and can connect families with outside speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and psychologists. Tutoring is billed hourly, with a scholarship fund available for qualifying families. Steward describes itself as a school that values neurodiversity and enrolls students with identified learning differences, while stating directly that it is not a school for students with identified learning differences. It offers accommodations such as extended time and small-group testing. It does not provide individualized education plans and does not customize its curriculum to target specific skill or processing challenges.

• Independent private JK-12 day school with a fee-based academic support center
• Learning differences
• Junior Kindergarten
• Kindergarten

Charterhouse School Richmond is a VAISEF-accredited residential and day school operated by Shineforth Child and Family Services, serving up to 144 students ages 5 through 22 in kindergarten through 12th grade with autism, emotional disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and multiple disabilities. The school offers ISAEP certification and a summer program. A sister campus serves students in Edinburg in Shenandoah County. Students are placed through IEP processes.

• Private special education school
• Autism
• emotional disabilities
• Intellectual disability

At Dominion Care Academy, we pair academic instruction with emotional and behavioral support for students who face challenges in a public school setting. Our private day school serves students ages 5 to 22 and works through each student’s IEP. We use positive reinforcement to help students build behaviors that can support a healthy return to their home school. We serve families in the Richmond and Tidewater areas.

• Private special education school
• Autism
• Intellectual disability
• Emotional disabilities

We provide therapeutic private day school education at the Educational Development Center in Richmond. Our intensive academic and behavioral program serves students with emotional, learning, intellectual and multiple disabilities, autism and other health impairments. Individualized instruction and behavioral support are connected with coping and problem-solving skills. Our motto, “We think Differently,” guides how we adapt strategies and learning experiences to help students participate in school and community life.

• Special education school
• Autistic
• Emotionally disabled
• Intellectually disabled

We are Virginia Home for Boys and Girls’ fully accredited specialized day school for students in grades 6 through 12 who need a smaller, trauma-informed setting for emotional, behavioral, or academic challenges. Our teachers and student support coaches work to close learning gaps and help students make progress on IEP goals, including a transition back to public school when that fits. We align instruction with Virginia’s Standards of Learning and support students with autism, emotional disability, intellectual disability, other health impairment, specific learning disability, and speech or language impairment. Students can access on-site counseling, positive behavioral support, creative and sensory-based activities, and one-to-one coaching when their IEP calls for it. We offer blended learning and, when available, career and technical education pathways. Students can pursue Standard or Applied Studies Diplomas. Families and referring teams can contact us or use our enrollment form to discuss placement.

• Private special education school
• Autism
• Emotional disability
• Intellectual disability

The Faison School serves Richmond students ages five through twenty-two with autism and related challenges. Our lower, middle, and upper school programs focus on the communication, academic, and daily living skills each student needs. Older students can pursue life skills and employment training, while independent learners work closer to grade level. Call admissions to discuss your child's IEP, application, and a campus tour.

• Private special education school
• Autism
• Developmental delays
• Intellectual disability

The New Community School (TNCS) is a college-preparatory independent school in Richmond, Virginia, serving students in grades 5 through 12 who have dyslexia and related learning differences, including dyscalculia, dysgraphia, auditory and visual processing disorders, executive functioning difficulties, and ADHD. The program centers on daily Language Fundamentals instruction that strengthens reading, spelling, and written expression, taught in very small groups (Language Fundamentals classes average 2 to 4 students; academic classes average 8 to 10), with an overall 4:1 student-to-teacher ratio. Alongside academics, students take part in athletics, theater, the arts, a House system with year-round competitions, and student-led clubs. TNCS is accredited by VAIS and SAIS and is a member of the International Dyslexia Association.

• Private educational institution
• Dyslexia
• Dyscalculia
• Dysgraphia

The Villa Education Center, formerly the Sarah Dooley Center for Autism, is a year-round school for students ages 5 to 22 with autism and related developmental disabilities. We are one of three schools on the 82-acre Brook Road campus of St. Joseph's Villa, a nonprofit whose work with Richmond's children dates to 1834. Instruction is individualized and grounded in Applied Behavior Analysis, and every lesson, one-on-one or in a small group, is built around the student's IEP goals. Our two speech-language pathologists work inside classrooms, modeling language strategies for teachers. Community outings happen every school day, with students practicing money, social and travel skills at restaurants, grocery stores, parks, libraries and museums, plus special trips to Washington, D.C. and Virginia Beach. On campus, students move between meals, vocational training, PE and recreation, with playgrounds, a gymnasium and a Learning and Therapy Garden. Public school divisions place every student, at no cost to families. We are licensed to serve students with autism, developmental delay, emotional disability, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, other health impairment and speech or language impairment, and our schools are accredited by VAISEF.

• Private special education day school (autism)
• Autism
• Developmental delays
• Emotional disabilities