GRADES 3-8 | IRVINE, CA | BUILT DIFFERENTLY. ON PURPOSE. 

Your Child Isn't the Problem.

Their School Just Isn't Designed for Them.

Most classrooms weren't built for the way you child thinks and engages. The Craig School was.

Not adapted.
Not modified.
Built differently from the ground up.
 
TCS Students-1-1

93% of TCS 8th graders return to traditional school. Ready.

Teacher and Student Working Together
WHY TCS WORKS
 

When the School Finally Fits, Everything Changes

Most TCS students spent years being smart kids in the wrong system. Not the wrong kid.

The wrong system.

They struggled because nothing around them was built for how their brain actually works. Here, it is. 

Our structure is the support. And, this is often the first place they feel genuinely capable.

5:1

Every classroom.
Every day.

35 Years

UC Irvine research behind TCS

Daily

Social skills instruction.
Not occasional.

93%

Of 8th graders return to traditional school

OUR APPROACH
 

Built In, Not Bolted On.

At most schools, support means leaving the room. A pull-out. A resource period. A separate track. Whatever it is, it tells the student, "You don't fully belong here."

At TCS, support is the room. The 5:1 ratio. The structured pacing. The trained staff. That's not a program layered on top.

That's what school looks like here.

TCS Teacher supporting Student
Classroom support is built in
Classroom support
OUR DIFFERENCE

Classroom support is built in

Every room is a supported room.

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Social skills are a real class
Social Skills class
OUR DIFFERENCE

Social skills are a real class

Social Skills & Communications meet daily. They're not optional. They're core.

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Science of Learning
Research Lab
OUR DIFFERENCE

Science of Learning

Instruction is built on how ADHD brains actually  learn.

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Girls at TCS
Girls at TCS
OUR DIFFERENCE

Girls at TCS

We know how to teach girls who learn differently.

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IS TCS RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD?

The Right Fit For Our Program

You don't need a diagnosis to know something isn't working. Many families come to TCS knowing their child is smart and capable, but stuck. Some have a clear diagnosis. Some are still figuring it out. What they share is the knowledge that their kid needs a different kind of school, and traditional hasn't been it.

We serve grades 3-8. A formal diagnosis is not required for admission.

Smart, but stuck

Bright kids who need the right room
Smart, but stuck

Ready to work with peers

Can collaborate, even if it's been hard.
Ready to work with peers

Diagnosed or still figuring it out

ADHD, ASD, AuDHD, twice exceptional, or just a kid who doesn't fit the mold. A formal diagnosis isn't required.
Diagnosed or still figuring it out

Thrives with structure

Routine and consistency aren't just helpful, they're necessary
Thrives with structure

Grades 3 through 8

Elementary and middle school
Grades 3 through 8

Having a hard year (or several)

The school history doesn't have to be good
Having a hard year (or several)
BUILT FOR BRAINS LIKE THEIRS
 

ADHD. ASD. AuDHD. And kids who don't have a label yet.

Our team knows what to do in the classroom for all of them.

ADHD & Executive Function

Students who think fast, feel deeply, and need a structure that works with their brain, not against it.

ADHD & Executive Function

Autism Spectrum (ASD)

Learners who thrive with predictability, explicit instruction, and a sensory environment that doesn't fight them all day.

Autism Spectrum (ASD)

AuDHD
(ADHD + Autism)

Both profiles at once means both sets of needs at once. TCS is one of the few environments built for them.

AuDHD
(ADHD + Autism)

Something's Different, But There's No Label Yet

You know your child is smart. You know traditional school isn't working. You don't have a diagnosis yet, or maybe you don't need one. TCS doesn't require one.

Something's Different, But There's No Label Yet

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Regulation Doesn't Happen at a Desk.

TCS sits alongside the San Diego Creek Trail and the Irvine Wildlife Sanctuary. We put that to work.

The Outride - Riding for Focus program gives students time on mountain bikes not as a reward, but as a tool. Time on the trail changes how the brain shows up in the classroom. 

It's not recess. It's part of how we teach.

Outride Biking on San Diego Creek Trail
Student in math
ACADEMICS
 

Energized to Learn. For the First Time.

Parents worry that a specialized school means lower expectations. The opposite is true.

When the environment finally fits, kids stop spending their energy just surviving the day. That's when the learning actually starts.

93% of our 8th graders return to a traditional school. Because they got what they needed when they needed it.

A QUESTION WE HEAR A LOT

"Is TCS a behavioral school?"

No. TCS is an academic school with a structure that was designed for kids whose brain work differently.

We don't accept students who need a clinical or institutional setting. Our students are bright kids who need a different kind of school, not a different kind of intervention.

The best way to understand what TCS is, and who it's for, is a conversation.

"There is no version of this story where we regret our decision. If we had to do it all over again, we would choose The Craig School every single time."

Erin Tyler

TCS PARENT

Erin Tyler
FROM TCS FAMILIES
 

What Changes When the Fit Is Right

"Public school left us feeling like we had failed our daughter — we were about to tap out and home school. Two years at TCS later, she's learning to self-regulate, advocate for herself, and her academics have grown. The best gift."

Amber Needham-Johnson

TCS PARENT

"We didn't just pay for a school. We invested in our child's ability to believe in himself."

Erin Tyler

TCS PARENT

See TCS in Action

Get a glimpse inside our school. This one-minute video shows how students are supported in an environment that is structured, encouraging, and built for how they learn.

Let's Figure Out If TCS Is the Right Fit.

"When our son earned his black belt, TCS staff showed up on a Friday night — on their own time — to support him. That level of care is rare."

- Erin Tyler, TCS Parent

Choosing a school is a big decision. We move at your pace with no pressure. Just an honest conversation about whether this is the right place for your family. 

If you have more questions about TCS, let's talk.

Worried about cost? Financial aid is available, up to full tuition. Don't rule us out before we talk.