CARF-accredited and recognized by the Aetna Institutes of Quality, ACES Academy operates as a non-public school in Hillcrest serving students with autism spectrum disorder from first grade through transition age 22. Established in 2004 by ACES (the ABA provider founded by a special education teacher in 1996), the campus is structured around three buildings including the Yellow House for elementary and middle grades and the Transition House for ages 16 to 22, and accepts students through district IEP referral, working in coordination with developmental pediatricians at Perlman Pediatrics Hillcrest. Instruction follows applied behavior analysis methodology with continuous data tracking through an online platform, and academic groups stay small with 1:1 paraprofessional support written into individual IEPs when needed. Community-based instruction takes place in the surrounding Hillcrest blocks and teaches pedestrian safety, grocery shopping, restaurant skills, and pre-vocational behavior in real settings. ASD diagnostic confirmation and cognitive testing for incoming IEP packages are typically completed by clinical psychologists such as Dr. Melissa E. Munoz, Psychologist before placement. The most intensive program is the transition curriculum, which combines on-site simulated office and retail environments with paid community work-experience placements to teach students with severe communication and behavioral support needs how to function in adult employment settings.