The earlier the right environment, the better the outcome.

Third grade is when the gap between capability and performance first becomes visible and when the right environment can make the biggest difference.

The Craig School was built specifically for students with ADHD, ASD, and executive functioning challenges.

Not as an accommodation. As the design.

No Pressure. No Commitment. Just a real conversation about your child. Now enrolling for 2026-27

Schedule a Conversation  →

Students working in class

If your 3rd grader came home from school frustrated today, you're in the right place.

By 3rd grade, school stops being mostly about showing up and starts being about performing. Reading independently. Writing multi-sentence responses. Staying organized. Sitting still while the lesson moves on without them.

For kids with ADHD, ASD, and executive functioning challenges, this is often when the gap first appears - between what they clearly know and what they can consistently produce.

The child who could explain everything at breakfast can't get it down on paper by 10 a.m.

Sound familiar?

  • A bright child who understands things at home but struggles to show it at school
  • Homework that takes three times as long as it should that ends in tears or shutdown
  • A teacher who genuinely likes them but doesn't know how to reach them
  • A diagnosis that finally explained a lot but didn't tell you what to do next
  • Accommodations that helped at the margins but didn't change the underlying problem
  • A growing worry that the gap will widen if something doesn't change soon
You didn't miss anything. The environment missed them. That's fixable and 3rd grade is a good time to fix it.

Most schools add accommodations. We build from scratch.

There is a real difference between a school that supports students with ADHD and a school that was built around how those students learn. The first is still a traditional classroom with a layer of help added. The second is something different entirely.

Architecture, Not Accommodation

The structure, routines, and pacing were built for their brain.

5:1 Student-to-Staff
Ratio

For every 5 students, there is at least 1 staff member in the classroom.

Founded on 35 Years of Research

Not a Philosophy.
Research Informed.

Learning doesn't stop at the classroom door

Every other week, TCS students ride or explore the San Diego Creek Trail which is right outside our building. This is not recess, and it is not a reward.

Our outdoor program is structured, intentional learning through movement. It reinforces the regulation, focus, and teamwork students are building inside the classroom, in an environment that happens to be a creek trail and wildlife sanctuary. For students with ADHD and ASD, movement and nature are not extras. They are part of how learning works.

TCS is attached to the San Diego Creek Trail and Irvine Wildlife Sanctuary. We put that fact to use.

Walking the San Diego Creek Trail

"This school has given her confidence, academic growth, and a genuine sense of belonging."

Heather S. Miethe-Wong

TCS Parent

5:1

Student-to-Staff ratio in every classroom

 

35 Years

Of UC Irvine research behind TCS model

 

93%

Of TCS 8th graders successfully transition back to traditional school

The first step is just a conversation

Families of AuDHD students often come to us after navigating multiple professionals, multiple school placements, and a confusing mix of diagnoses that each explained part of the picture but none explained all of it. Our admissions process is a genuine conversation, not a screening. We want to understand the full picture of your child.

 

Tell us about your child

Fill out a short inquiry. It takes about three minutes. No formal application. No paperwork. Just the basics so we can have a real conversation.

We talk

An admissions conversation, not a test. You tell us what has and hasn't   tell you honestly whether TCS is likely to be the right fit. No pressure in either direction.

Come see it

If there's a mutual sense of fit, we'll invite you and your child to visit the school. You'll see how the day flows. Your child will spend time in the classroom. We'll know more. So will you.

We move at your pace. No pressure.

"TCS didn't change who our son is. They gave him access to who he already was."

Erin Tyler

TCS Parent

Common questions from 3rd grade families

Does my child need a formal diagnosis?

No. Many students arrive without one. We focus on whether our environment is the right fit for how your child learns, not labels. If your child struggles with attention, regulation, organization, or social connection in ways that traditional school doesn't address, that's enough to start a conversation.

What if we've only recently started looking into this?

That's exactly the right time to reach out. Many families come to us early in their search, before they've made any decisions. We're happy to be part of that process, to explain what we do, and help you think through whether it's the right fit. Early conversations are often the most useful ones.

What learning profiles does The Craig School work well for?

We most commonly support students with ADHD, executive functioning challenges, anxiety, and autism spectrum disorders. Students should have average intellectual ability and be able to participate in a small classroom setting without requiring continuous one-to-one support throughout the day.

Is The Craig School a good fit for students with ASD?

Yes, particularly for students who are bright and communicative but struggling in environments that never made the social rules explicit. The Craig School provides daily explicit social skills instruction, predictable routines, consistent adults, and small groups. It's not an accommodation. It's how the school is built.

Is there a waitlist?

We encourage families to begin the conversation early. Reach out to learn about current availability for the 2026–27 school year.

Is The Craig School a nonprofit?

Yes. The Craig School is an independently operated California nonprofit private school. We have no affiliation with The Craig School in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey.

The right time to find the right environment is now.

Third grade is when foundations form. It's also when the gap between capability and performance first becomes visible and when changing the environment has the most impact.

If you've read this far, your child probably belongs in a school built specifically for them. The first step doesn't commit you to anything. It's a short inquiry and a real conversation with someone who will listen and who will tell you honestly whether TCS is the right fit for your child.