Which Middle School for Autism Spectrum?

We’re planning a move to Berkeley this year, but we’re open to other parts of the East Bay depending on school district fit—especially for special education services.

Our son is a pre-teen with moderate autism. He’s currently attending a private school, and his most recent IEP placement is a non-public school (NPS). As we prepare for this transition, we’re trying to better understand how different East Bay school districts approach IEP implementation, NPS placements, and support for neurodivergent students.

We’d love to hear from other families about their experiences—positive or otherwise—with districts like Berkeley Unified, Albany, Oakland, Piedmont, or others in the area. How responsive have the districts been to special education needs, and how well have they supported families through the IEP process?

Thank you in advance for any insight you’re willing to share—it’s a huge help as we plan our next steps.

Hello BPN Community,

I’m reaching out with a heavy heart and a plea for guidance. My 12-year-old son just finished 6th grade, and he’s been diagnosed with moderate autism. We moved to the U.S. two years ago, and due to the differences in education systems, he’s fallen behind his peers, especially in language and core subjects. He also needs occupational and speech therapy and faces challenges with learning and writing.

I’m considering transferring him to a specialized private school that can better support his needs and help him catch up academically. I would deeply appreciate any recommendations or experiences you might have with schools in the area that cater to children with autism. Your insights could make a significant difference for us during this challenging time.

Thank you so much for your help.

Warm regards,

Hello, our family is moving to Berkeley in December. Any recommendations on middle schools would be much appreciated. Also, he is high-functioning. 

Our 2.5-year-old son has significant communication/speech delays, and he is now in the process of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) evaluation.  Our older son (4.5 years) is a developmentally typical kid, and in fact, he loves academically challenging environments.  We would like to settle in a place before our older son starts kindergarten.

Are there school districts that have great special education programs as well as strong academics?  Are certain districts easier to work with than others?  We would appreciate any district information in the East Bay, from Richmond to Fremont.  Please share any and all experiences. We really appreciate your insight!  We are very overwhelmed.  

It would be especially helpful to hear from parents whose children are on the autism spectrum, but I would love to hear from parents of children with a range of disabilities as well.

Thank you in advance.  

I'm starting to think my child might have mild autism. They're 10, and we've known about some sensory sensitivities for a while now (and been dealing with them through occupational therapy and other strategies), but onrushing puberty and the transition to middle school seem to have brought some underlying issues to the fore lately. 

We're transitioning from a private school to a public school in Oakland. I am unsure how to proceed in getting an evaluation, and what that will mean school-wise. I'm also looking for a therapist for my kid to help with school issues in general -- I think they could use some extra support and a non-family member to connect with in terms of learning to regulate emotions, handle school social relations, and  manage the demands of schoolwork. All advice welcome.

I have an almost 13 year old "high functioning" autistic kid who has been at special education placements for social, emotional and behavioral issues since mid-3rd grade. It has been suggested that he would benefit from intellectually challenging work at some other placement, but no other placement we know of that meets all his needs seems to exist. He is very bright, funny, interested in people and making friends, but is delayed in his social and emotional development. He has difficulty regulating his emotions and can become violent when triggered. (Feeling "stupid" worrying that someone else will think he's "stupid," being a beginner at something, competition, kids being mean and insulting him, feeling overwhelmed are all triggers.) However, he is very good at self reflection and talking about the issues when he has calmed down later. He really makes an effort.

On the one hand, in his current placement, there are other kids with similar challenges plus kids with more difficult challenges (varying degrees of physical, emotional and cognitive) and he has learned to accept lots of different ways of being and communicating and is very gracious and open. He has one on one support at all times and a team to help when he runs or when he lashes out or gets distraught. But there is no one else who really fits his profile and he doesn't have anyone who can be his buddy there. Last year he connected with younger kids and was able to move through some stages he never really got to, but he is maturing and feels a bit lost in his current classroom with 5 other kids of mixed older ages who are less social. He hasn't had much experience with "neurotypical" kids his age and I don't know how that would go and I am curious and hopeful, but I know kids can be mean and devastating, yet I also know they have the capacity to be kind and accepting.

Does anyone know of a school in or near Oakland (this would be paid for by the district, so no private schools, we need his IEP to be followed. Can be a Non Public School) that can provide contact with same age kids while still supporting him very closely for the challenges he has,  while stimulating him intellectually----not just throwing harder work at him, but helping him get interested in things he likes and can do that are challenging and interesting. (His I.Q. is 143)  The recommendation by the person who evaluated him (who is from LA and doesn't know the areas offerings) is for such a placement, but he isn't in one like that because we have never found one. Ideas welcome. BPN has always been amazingly helpful, and I thank you.

Hello foks, We are looking for a private school for my high functioning autistic 13 year old with behavioral issues. He attended Floyd Marchus School in Concord for 2 years and we finally decided not to enroll for a 3rd year. We didnt feel that the school was the right fit for him and not really fond of the seedy location and hard to get to location. Desperate mommy of a teen