GRADES 3-8 | IRVINE, CA

Where Bright Students Who Learn Differently Finally Fit

Traditional schools are built to serve many kinds of learners. Some students need something more specialized.

The Craig School is a private school in Irvine for bright students with ADHD, executive functioning challenges, AuDHD, autism spectrum profiles, and students who simply have not found the right fit in traditional school.

Built from more than 35 years of UC Irvine research and student support experience, TCS gives students the environment and structure they need to learn with confidence.

NOW ACCEPTING ENROLLMENT INQUIRIES FOR THE 2026-27 SCHOOL YEAR. SPACES ARE LIMITED.

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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 school was not built around how their brain works. At TCS, it is.

Our structure is the support. Small classes. Built-in coaching. Predictable routines. Daily social skills instruction. Movement and experiential learning. Outdoor classrooms. And teachers who understand how bright, different learners think.

5:1

Student-to-staff ratio across the school.

35 Years

Of UC Irvine research behind our model.

Daily

Social skills & Communications instruction.

93%

Of 8th graders return to traditional school ready.

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 the name, the message can feel the same to a child:

"You don't fully belong here."

At TCS, support is the built into the classroom.

The 5:1 ratio. The structured pacing. The trained staff. The routines. The feedback. The relationships.

Support is not a program layered on top of school.

Support is what school looks like here.

Classroom support

OUR DIFFERENCE

Every Room Is a Supported Room

Students do not have to leave the classroom to get what they need. The classroom is designed for them from the start.

Explore Built-In Support

Social Skills class

OUR DIFFERENCE

Social Skills Are a Real Class

Social Skills & Communications meet daily. It is not optional. It is core.

Students learn how to understand themselves, communicate clearly, and build stronger relationships.

Learn About Social Skills

Research Lab

OUR DIFFERENCE

Research-informed Instruction

TCS began with decades of ADHD research and student support work at UC Irvine.

Today, that foundation shapes how we teach, support, and understand students.

Read Our Story

Girls at TCS

OUR DIFFERENCE

Girls Don't Have to Mask Here

Girls with ADHD, autism spectrum profiles, and executive function challenges are often misunderstood or overlooked.

TCS understands how girls can struggle quietly, mask exhaustion, and still appear "fine" on the outside.

Girls at TCS

Outride Bikes

OUR DIFFERENCE

Learning Beyond Four Walls

Our location near the San Diego Creek Trail and Irvine Wildlife Sanctuary is part of our experiential learning experience.

Through Outride: Riding for Focus, students use biking and outdoor experiences to support focus and confidence.

Learn About Outride

Smart, But Stuck

Bright students who need the right environment.

Ready to Learn With Peers

Students who can participate in a classroom community, even if that has been difficult before.

Diagnosed or Still Figuring It Out

ADHD, autism spectrum profiles, AuDHD, or students without a formal label.

Thrives With Structure

Students who benefit from routine, consistency, and clear expectations.

Grades 3 Through 8

Elementary and middle school students.

Having a Hard Year (or Several)

Students whose school history may not reflect their true ability.

ADHD & Executive Function

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

Autism Spectrum Profiles

Learners who thrive with predictability, explicit instruction, and a sensory supportive relationships, and a sensory- aware environment.

AuDHD

When ADHD and autism overlap, students often need both flexibility and predictability.

TCS is built to understand both.

No Label Yet

You know your child is smart. You know traditional school isn't working. You not have a diagnosis yet.

TCS doesn't require one.

ACADEMICS

Strong Academics. Designed Differently.

Parents worry that a specialized school means lower expectations.

At TCS, the opposite is true.

When the environment finally fits, students stop spending all their energy surviving the day.

That's when the learning begins.

Our students engage in literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, and executive function instruction. All within our supportive environment designed specifically for how they learn best.

At TCS, students see themselves as successful learners, sometimes for the first time.

93% of TCS 8th graders return to traditional school settings ready for what's next.

"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

"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 is 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