Oak Hill School serves students with autism spectrum disorders, speech-language impairment, cognitive impairment, specific learning disabilities, and other health impairments in grades 1st through 12th grade (6 years old to 22 years old).

Programming includes individualized instruction provided by credentialed special educators; and on-site speech/language therapy, occupational therapy, and psychotherapy.

Instruction is individualized for each student based on their specific developmental profiles and long term (i.e., transition-oriented) goal. Some students focus on critically important life skills, functional reading, and real-life mathematical problem-solving. Other students access their grade-level curriculum, with appropriately accommodated and modified instructional strategies.

Oak Hill School serves students with autism and related neurodevelopmental differences. Students range from non-verbal and emerging verbal students on a broad developmental continuum that also includes students with highly developed verbal skills who may have difficulty succeeding in a typical classroom setting due to neurological challenges consistent with those of autism spectrum disorder. These may include challenges in the areas of communication, social interaction and sensory motor integration. 

Our goal is to determine if the individual strengths and challenges of each child can be served optimally by Oak Hill School and classroom space availability.

Oak Hill School’s campus is adjacent to undeveloped open space. This makes for ideal hiking and nature exploration. Oak Hill students have access to the outdoor pool (weather permitting), shared-use athletic fields, and a gymnasium. adjacent to classroom spaces.

Students also have ready access to outdoor play structures; a sensory gym, featuring swings and climbing equipment, computer equipment, pianos and other musical instruments, and two kitchens.

Oak Hill School’s approach is highly developmentally-focused, individualized, and relationship-based; however, with a more eclectic approach, we no longer primarily identify as a Floortime environment.

Teachers and therapists employ a range of instructional and clinical approaches, including experiential learning; sensory integration; emotional regulation, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), community-based instruction, computer-based instruction, Treatment and Education for Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACH), social cognition, and specialized instructional techniques in literacy and mathematics.

Examples include:

City College of San Francisco 

College of Marin

Eaton Cognitive Improvement Centre

Threshold at Lesley University

The ARC Program, San Francisco

Autistry Studios

Employment at

CLE: College Living Experience 

Graduation to less restrictive school settings

Yes. Oak Hill School is certified by the California Department of Education as a non-public school (NPS). Oak Hill School works closely with our school district partners who can refer a student based on the individualized education program (IEP). Oak Hill School contracts with numerous school districts across the greater Bay Area. to provide services to their students.

Yes. Students who come from a school district can have transportation provided as part of the IEP.

Oak Hill School students currently range in chronological age from 6 to 22. Within that age range, students generally fall into mild to severe categories, including students considered high-functioning ASD. An Oak Hill student must be able to toilet independently or with minimal assistance

Yes. Oak Hill students experience neurologically based challenges in the areas of speech and language, sensory-motor and social development.

These would be disorders considered to be neurodevelopmental in origin or to have neurodevelopmental consequences when they occur in infancy and childhood, and include autism and autism spectrum disorders, traumatic brain injury, and communication, speech and language disorders.

The school maintains vans for transporting students to field trips and internships.