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<title>Autism Schools in Columbus, Ohio: Oakstone Academy, Bridgeway Academy, The Learning Spectrum, New Story Schools, District Programs, and How Each One Is Paid For | Achieving Stars Therapy</title>
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<div class="hero"><div class="hero-inner"><span class="location-badge">Columbus, Ohio</span><h1>Autism Schools in Columbus, Ohio: Day Schools, Inclusion Programs, and District Autism Education</h1><p>Columbus has something most Ohio metros don't: a school that deliberately mixes autistic and neurotypical students in the same room, alongside more conventional autism day schools. The right fit depends on how much structure your child needs.</p></div></div>
<div class="quick-info"><div class="info-item"><div class="info-label">Placements</div><div class="info-value">4 types</div></div><div class="info-item"><div class="info-label">Ages Served</div><div class="info-value">3 to 21</div></div><div class="info-item"><div class="info-label">Autism Category</div><div class="info-value">$34,000 FY2027</div></div><div class="info-item"><div class="info-label">In-Home ABA</div><div class="info-value">18mo-15yr</div></div></div>
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<section><p>Columbus families choose between four kinds of placement, and each one is funded and licensed differently. A public district classroom costs nothing. A private autism day school charges tuition. An inclusion school mixes autistic and neurotypical students on purpose. And a therapy organization can run educational services alongside clinical support.</p>
<p>Start with where the day falls apart rather than with a school name. A three-year-old who isn't talking yet needs communication support and heavy structure. A fourth grader who reads fine but loses it at every transition needs something else entirely.</p></section>
<section><h2>Autism schools and programs in Columbus</h2>
<p>These are real Columbus-area options. Confirm current grades, openings and cost with each one directly, because all of it moves year to year.</p>
<table>
<thead><tr><th>School or program</th><th>Type</th><th>Ages</th><th>Focus</th><th>Where</th></tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr><td>Oakstone Academy</td><td>Private, full inclusion</td><td>PreK through grade 12</td><td>Autistic and neurotypical students in the same classrooms</td><td>Westerville</td></tr>
<tr><td>Bridgeway Academy</td><td>Private full-day school</td><td>Preschool through 21</td><td>Applied behavior analysis with therapy on site</td><td>Alum Creek Drive, Columbus</td></tr>
<tr><td>The Learning Spectrum</td><td>Educational and therapy services</td><td>Children with autism spectrum disorder</td><td>Naturalistic programming, one-to-one applied behavior analysis</td><td>Three Columbus locations</td></tr>
<tr><td>New Story Schools</td><td>Private academic school</td><td>PreK to 12, ages 3 to 21</td><td>Autism support and emotional support</td><td>New Market Center Way, Columbus</td></tr>
<tr><td>Columbus City Schools special education</td><td>Public district</td><td>3 to 21</td><td>Individualized education program services</td><td>Citywide</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>One naming note worth having. <strong>New Story Schools was Haugland Learning Center</strong> until fall 2021, after New Story bought it in 2020. Plenty of Columbus parents still search the old name and land on outdated pages.</p></section>
<section><h2>Oakstone Academy and the inclusion model</h2>
<p>Oakstone calls itself a private school serving both neurotypical students and students on the autism spectrum, and it means that literally. The two groups share classrooms.</p>
<p>It runs preschool through grade 12 at 900 Club Drive in Westerville, on (614) 899-2838. Worth being precise: that's Westerville, not Columbus proper, so factor the drive.</p>
<p>Its site promotes the EdChoice Scholarship, with income-tiered awards. It does not mention the Autism Scholarship or Jon Peterson anywhere, so ask before you assume either applies. More detail in <a href="/guide/oakstone-academy">the Oakstone Academy guide</a>.</p></section>
<section><h2>Bridgeway Academy: autism education and therapy in one building</h2>
<p>Bridgeway describes itself as a full-day private school program for children with autism and other developmental disabilities, built on applied behavior analysis.</p>
<p>The part that changes a family's week is the therapy. Speech, music, occupational and physical therapy all run during the school day through the Bridgeway Therapy Center, rather than as separate evening appointments across town.</p>
<p>It serves preschool through age 21 at 1350 Alum Creek Drive, on 614.262.7520, and it accepts both state scholarships. Full detail in <a href="/guide/bridgeway-academy-columbus">the Bridgeway Academy guide</a>.</p></section>
<section><h2>The Learning Spectrum and New Story Schools</h2>
<p>The Learning Spectrum started in 2005, founded by two special education teachers and a parent. It now runs three locations plus work inside private schools across the city.</p>
<p>It's less a single school than a set of services. Occupational therapy, speech, music therapy, one-to-one applied behavior analysis, support groups and educational services, with programming designed around the most natural setting a child can succeed in. Its stated focus areas are self-management, language and learning, and social skills.</p>
<p>New Story Schools takes PreK through 12, ages 3 to 21, at New Market Center Way, on (614) 602-6473, serving autism support and emotional support needs. Its own site notes it has been an Autism Scholarship provider since the program began in 2003.</p></section>
<section><h2>District programs and small class sizes</h2>
<p>The district route costs nothing, and it's an obligation rather than a favor. Ohio requires districts to ensure a free appropriate public education for eligible children ages 3 through 21.</p>
<p>Columbus City Schools runs preschool special education for ages 3 to 5, covering language, cognition, motor skills, adaptive behavior and social-emotional development. The number on that page is 614-365-5000.</p>
<p>Suspect a disability and want an evaluation? Contact your child's school to start the referral. After the team reviews, an evaluation happens <strong>within 90 days at no cost</strong>. That line is (614) 365-5220.</p></section>
<section><h2>What each placement costs, and what the scholarships change</h2>
<p>Most Columbus private programs don't publish tuition, so the real number comes out of the admissions conversation. Two state scholarships do most of the heavy lifting.</p>
<p>The <strong>Autism Scholarship</strong> pays up to <strong>$34,000</strong> for fiscal year 2027, and a private autism diagnosis from a physician or psychologist is a valid route to eligibility, not only a district finding. <strong>Jon Peterson</strong> works differently: it pays by the disability category on the child's Evaluation Team Report, from $10,045 up to $34,000.</p>
<p>A child can hold one or the other in a school year, never both. Which one fits usually comes down to how your child was identified and which schools accept which. <a href="/guide/jon-peterson-scholarship-columbus">How Jon Peterson works and what each category pays</a> covers the comparison in full.</p></section>
<section><h2>Autism education for younger children and early intervention</h2>
<p>Turning three is the hinge. Early intervention ends, the district takes over, and the handoff runs on a timeline that starts months earlier than most parents expect.</p>
<p>Columbus has unusually good early options, including a center that deliberately balances children with and without developmental delays in the same preschool room. <a href="/guide/autism-preschool-columbus">Autism preschool in Columbus</a> walks through the handoff and what to ask on a tour.</p></section>
<section><h2>Where in-home applied behavior analysis fits around school</h2>
<p>School and clinical therapy are funded from different pots and cover different ground, so a lot of Columbus families run both.</p>
<p>The classroom owns academics, peer time and the school day itself. Applied behavior analysis at home owns what shows up once the bus has gone. Communication, meltdowns at bedtime, following directions, getting dressed without a fight.</p>
<p>Achieving Stars Therapy has run BCBA-led programs inside the family home since 2015 and works with <a href="/location/city/aba-therapy-columbus-oh">Columbus families in their own homes</a>. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst writes the plan, a Registered Behavior Technician runs the sessions, and parents pick up the strategies as they go. Hours run 8am to 8pm, so nothing collides with school.</p>
<p>Funding sits apart from any scholarship. Achieving Stars bills Ohio Medicaid and most commercial plans, verifies benefits free before anything is signed, and isn't a registered scholarship provider. Care covers ages 18 months to 15 years across <a href="/location/states/aba-therapy-ohio">Ohio</a>.</p></section><section><h2>Common questions from Columbus parents</h2><div class="faq-item"><h3>What type of school is best for an autistic child?</h3><p>There isn't one answer, and the honest test is how much structure your child needs to learn. A child who mostly keeps up academically and struggles socially often does better in an inclusion setting with typical peers. A child with significant communication needs usually does better where speech-language pathologists and intervention specialists work inside the classroom instead of pulling the child out twice a week.</p></div><div class="faq-item"><h3>What are the best autism schools in Columbus for a non-verbal child?</h3><p>Look for programs built around applied behavior analysis with therapy on site rather than referred out. Bridgeway Academy runs speech, music, occupational and physical therapy during the school day. The Learning Spectrum runs one-to-one applied behavior analysis alongside its educational services. Ask each one directly how a child who isn't speaking yet asks for something in their classroom.</p></div><div class="faq-item"><h3>What age groups do autism schools in Columbus serve?</h3>
<p>Bridgeway Academy runs preschool through age 21. New Story Schools covers PreK to 12, ages 3 to 21. Oakstone Academy runs preschool through grade 12. Columbus City Schools serves eligible preschoolers from age 3. So the school-age range is broadly 3 to 21 depending on the program.</p></div><div class="faq-item"><h3>What is a Pre-K autism support classroom?</h3><p>It's a preschool special education classroom for children who already have an individualized education program, usually with a smaller group, more adults, and communication built into the day. Columbus City Schools runs preschool special education for ages 3 to 5, and a parent can start the referral themselves.</p></div><div class="faq-item"><h3>What benefits do parents get for autism in Ohio?</h3><p>Two state scholarships matter most. The Autism Scholarship pays up to $34,000 for fiscal year 2027 toward a special education placement, and a private autism diagnosis is a valid route to it. Jon Peterson pays by the disability category on the child's Evaluation Team Report. A child can only hold one of them in a school year. Ohio Medicaid separately covers applied behavior analysis for children under 21 with no annual dollar cap.</p></div></section>
<p class="disclaimer">School details change. Confirm current ages, grades, openings, tuition and funding directly with each program before you enroll. This page is general information, not medical, legal or educational advice.</p>
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<h2>In-Home Support for Columbus Families</h2>
<p>Free benefits check. BCBA-led, in-home, flexible day and evening scheduling.</p>
<a href="https://www.achievingstarstherapy.com/contact" class="cta-button">Get a Free Benefits Check</a>
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<div class="cta-item"><div class="cta-item-label">Email</div><div class="cta-item-value"><a href="mailto:info@achievingstarstherapy.com">info@achievingstarstherapy.com</a></div></div>
<div class="cta-item"><div class="cta-item-label">Ages</div><div class="cta-item-value">18 months to 15 years</div></div>
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