Living in the Boston area, special education services are widely available. Federal law guarantees every student the right to a free and appropriate public education, regardless of handicap or disability. Additionally, Massachusetts state law further guarantees the right to an education in the “least restrictive environment.”
The rules and laws surrounding special education in our state are broad and require detailed study. As a parent, the following website is a good starting point: https://fcsn.org/parents-guide.
The following list shows the private special education schools in the Boston area. These schools offer education within the scope of their specialty and grade range. Each school has a unique set of skills and services and its own unique admissions procedures. Most students get referred to these schools by the school systems or social services, but many also accept students directly.
Featured Special Education High Schools
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Kennedy Day School
The Kennedy Day School is a special education school located in Brighton, MA. The school…
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Dearborn Academy
Dearborn Academy is one of New England’s leading state-approved special education day schools, located in…
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CNS Pathways Academy
Pathways Academy is a private special education school located in Belmont, MA. The school school…
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The Compass School
The Compass School is a special education school located in Dorchester, MA. It serves students…
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Manville School
The Manville School is a therapeutic day school located in Boston. It serves students from…
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Arlington School
Arlington School offers a full college preparatory curriculum, leading to a high school diploma. As…
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James F Farr Academy
Farr Academy is a therapeutic day school located in Cambridge, MA. The school is serving…
Special Education High Schools in the Boston Area
| Link | Name | Specialty | Tuition | Academics | Size | Grades | Town |
 | RCS Learning Center | Autism| Learning Disabilities | - | - |  | 1-12 | Natick |
| | New England Pediatric Care | Nursing Home for Children| Complex care | - | - | | 1-12 | North Billerica |
| | Reed Academy | Emotional Difficulties | - | - | | 1-12 | Framingham |
| | Compass School | Education| Stabilization for at-Risk Population | - | - | | 1-12 | Dorchester |
| | Boston Higashi School | Autism | - | - |  | 1-12 | Randolph |
| | Brandon School & Residental Treatment | Behavior| emotional | - | - | | 2-12 | Natick |
| | League School Of Greater Boston | Autism | - | - | | 2-12 | East Walpole |
| | Lighthouse School | Various Educational Challenges | - | - | | 2-12 | North Chelmsford |
| | Milestones Day School | Transitional Services | - | - | | 3-12 | Waltham |
| | The Judge Rotenberg Center | Behavior| emotional| psychiatric problems | - | - | | 3-12 | Canton |
| | CNS Pathways Academy | Autism | - | - | | 4-12 | Belmont |
| | Dearborn Academy | Dyslexia| ADD| Language Based | - | - | | 4-12 | Newton |
| | Darnell School | Autism| Intellectual| Behavioral | - | - | | 5-12 | Hudson |
| | Anchor Academy | Alternative educational environment | - | - | | 6-12 | Middleboro |
| | Granite Academy | Social| Emotional | - | - | | 6-12 | Braintree |
| | Corwin-Russell School At Broccoli Hall | Individual Learning Style | - | - | | 6-12 | Sudbury |
| | Willow Hill School | Individual Learning Style | - | - | | 6-12 | Sudbury |
| | Clearway School | Dyslexia| Language Based | - | - | | 7-12 | West Newton |
| | The Victor School | Social| Emotional| Gifted Students | - | - | | 7-12 | Acton |
| | Van Der Kolk Glenhaven Academy | Behavioral| Trauma | - | - | | 7-12 | Marlborough |
| | Meadowridge Pelham Academy | Female Behavior| Trauma| Mental Illness | - | - | | 7-12 | Lexington |
| | The Walden Street School | Trauma| Mental Illness | - | - | | 7-12 | Concord |
| | Beacon High School | Emotional| Psychiatric| Moderate Leaning Disability | - | - | | 7-12 | Watertown |
| | Wayside Academy | Behavior| Mental illness| Addiction | - | - | | 7-12 | Framingham |
| | Bay Cove Academy | Behavioral| Trauma | - | - | | 8-12 | Brookline |
| | James F Farr Academy | Behavioral | - | - | | 8-12 | Cambridge |
| | Seaport Academy | Learning Challenges | - | - | | 8-12 | Chelsea |
| | Ivy Street School | Neurocognitive | Neurodevelopmental | - | - | | 8-12 | Brookline |
| | Landmark School - High School | Dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities |  |  | | 9-12 | Prides Crossing |
| | Arlington School | Mental Health| Addiction | - | - | | 9-12 | Belmont |
| | Hopeful Journeys Educational Center | Autism| Developmental disabilities | - | - | | preK-12 | Beverly |
| | Beverly School For The Deaf | Deafness| Hard of Hearing | - | - | | preK-12 | Beverly |
| | Cotting School | Learning| Communications| Complex Medical | - | - | | preK-12 | Lexington |
| | Crossroads School | Autism | - | - | | preK-12 | Marlborough |
| | The May Center School For Autism and Developmental Disabilities | Autism| Developmental disabilities | - | - | | preK-12 | Randolph |
| | Nashoba Learning Group | Autism | - | - | | preK-12 | Bedford |
| | The New England Center For Children | Autism | - | - | | preK-12 | Southborough |
| | Perkins School For The Blind | Blindness | - | - | | preK-12 | Watertown |
| | The Learning Center For The Deaf | Deaf| Hard of Hearing | - | - | | preK-12 | Framingham |
| | Kennedy Day School | communication, mobility and motor control, vision, hearing, feeding, cognition, social development, and fragile health | - | - | | preK-12 | Brighton |
More Special Education Schools in the Boston Area
| Link | Name | Specialty | Tuition | Academics | Size | Grades | Town |
| | RCS Learning Center | Autism| Learning Disabilities | - | - | | 1-12 | Natick |
| | New England Pediatric Care | Nursing Home for Children| Complex care | - | - | | 1-12 | North Billerica |
| | Reed Academy | Emotional Difficulties | - | - | | 1-12 | Framingham |
| | Compass School | Education| Stabilization for at-Risk Population | - | - | | 1-12 | Dorchester |
| | Boston Higashi School | Autism | - | - | | 1-12 | Randolph |
| | St Ann's Home | Learning disabilities| mood disorders| autism spectrum disorders (ASD) | - | - | | 1-2 | Methuen |
| | The Carroll School | Learning| Reading| Writing| Dislexia | | - |  | 1-9 | Lincoln |
| | Brandon School & Residental Treatment | Behavior| emotional | - | - | | 2-12 | Natick |
| | League School Of Greater Boston | Autism | - | - | | 2-12 | East Walpole |
| | Lighthouse School | Various Educational Challenges | - | - | | 2-12 | North Chelmsford |
| | Landmark School - Elementary Middle School | Dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities | | | | 2-8 | Manchester |
| | Manville School | Emotional| Neurological|or Learning difficulties | - | - | | 3-10 | Roxbury Crossing |
| | Milestones Day School | Transitional Services | - | - | | 3-12 | Waltham |
| | The Judge Rotenberg Center | Behavior| emotional| psychiatric problems | - | - | | 3-12 | Canton |
| | CNS Pathways Academy | Autism | - | - | | 4-12 | Belmont |
| | Dearborn Academy | Dyslexia| ADD| Language Based | - | - | | 4-12 | Newton |
| | Darnell School | Autism| Intellectual| Behavioral | - | - | | 5-12 | Hudson |
| | Anchor Academy | Alternative educational environment | - | - | | 6-12 | Middleboro |
| | Granite Academy | Social| Emotional | - | - | | 6-12 | Braintree |
| | Corwin-Russell School At Broccoli Hall | Individual Learning Style | - | - | | 6-12 | Sudbury |
| | Willow Hill School | Individual Learning Style | - | - | | 6-12 | Sudbury |
| | Clearway School | Dyslexia| Language Based | - | - | | 7-12 | West Newton |
| | The Victor School | Social| Emotional| Gifted Students | - | - | | 7-12 | Acton |
| | Van Der Kolk Glenhaven Academy | Behavioral| Trauma | - | - | | 7-12 | Marlborough |
| | Meadowridge Pelham Academy | Female Behavior| Trauma| Mental Illness | - | - | | 7-12 | Lexington |
| | The Walden Street School | Trauma| Mental Illness | - | - | | 7-12 | Concord |
| | Beacon High School | Emotional| Psychiatric| Moderate Leaning Disability | - | - | | 7-12 | Watertown |
| | Wayside Academy | Behavior| Mental illness| Addiction | - | - | | 7-12 | Framingham |
| | Bay Cove Academy | Behavioral| Trauma | - | - | | 8-12 | Brookline |
| | James F Farr Academy | Behavioral | - | - | | 8-12 | Cambridge |
| | Seaport Academy | Learning Challenges | - | - | | 8-12 | Chelsea |
| | Ivy Street School | Neurocognitive | Neurodevelopmental | - | - | | 8-12 | Brookline |
| | Landmark School - High School | Dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities | | | | 9-12 | Prides Crossing |
| | Arlington School | Mental Health| Addiction | - | - | | 9-12 | Belmont |
| | Italian Home For Children | Emotional| Behavioral| Educational problems | - | - | | K-8 | Jamaica Plain |
| | Hopeful Journeys Educational Center | Autism| Developmental disabilities | - | - | | preK-12 | Beverly |
| | Beverly School For The Deaf | Deafness| Hard of Hearing | - | - | | preK-12 | Beverly |
| | Cotting School | Learning| Communications| Complex Medical | - | - | | preK-12 | Lexington |
| | Crossroads School | Autism | - | - | | preK-12 | Marlborough |
| | The May Center School For Autism and Developmental Disabilities | Autism| Developmental disabilities | - | - | | preK-12 | Randolph |
| | Nashoba Learning Group | Autism | - | - | | preK-12 | Bedford |
| | The New England Center For Children | Autism | - | - | | preK-12 | Southborough |
| | Perkins School For The Blind | Blindness | - | - | | preK-12 | Watertown |
| | The Learning Center For The Deaf | Deaf| Hard of Hearing | - | - | | preK-12 | Framingham |
| | Campus Kinder Haus | - | - | | preK-K | Quincy | |
| | B C Campus School | Complex Care | - | - | | preK-preK | Chestnut Hill |
| | Melmark New England | Broad range of intellectual disabilities | - | - | | Ungraded | Andover |
| | Cardinal Cushing Centers | Autism| Developmental or intellectual delays | - | - | | Ungraded | Hanover |
| | Community Therapeutic Day School | Emotional and Neurological dififficulties | - | - | | Ungraded | Lexington |
| | Braintree St Coletta Day School |  |  | | Ungraded-Ungraded | Braintree | |
| | Kennedy Day School | communication, mobility and motor control, vision, hearing, feeding, cognition, social development, and fragile health | - | - | | preK-12 | Brighton |
