In 1982, Hillsides Education Center (HEC) was established to meet the needs of children who required a special education environment in which to flourish. HEC is a private, non-public school for children with special needs that include emotional disturbance (ED), a learning disability (LD) like attention deficit disorder, or other health impairments (OHI).   HEC serves 84 children in grades K – 12 who would normally be attending public schools. HEC also accepts troubled teens who have similar emotional and educational needs and are enrolled in school districts from Los Angeles County, including San Gabriel Valley, Glendale and Pasadena, to name a few.

Each classroom accommodates up to 12 students instructed by a credentialed special education teacher and two teaching assistants. Lessons are derived from California State Standards and then individually modified to help students prepare or transition to public school. In addition to obtaining a solid academic background, students have access to psychological counseling for mental illness or emotional needs as well as speech and language therapy, music, art, and other specialized support through HEC or by referral.

Hillsides Education Center is committed to reflective teaching, fostering an ethic of caring about each child’s uniqueness through Individualized Education Program (IEP). Teachers at HEC focus on academic content as they relate to the students’ past experiences. Artistic problem solving is also encouraged in an effort to make the student’s educational experience more meaningful. Teachers are continually finding new ways to adapt the curriculum to relate to a student’s background, interests and needs.

Serving students enrolled in Los Angeles County and San Gabriel Valley school districts including Glendale and Pasadena, Hillsides Education Center is a specialized day program that provides highly structured, educational and therapeutic programs that include a behavior management component. The school primarily services students with mild to moderate emotional disturbances and learning disabilities, including high functioning Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.