About The Pathway School
A nonprofit special education school, Pathway builds academic, social, and life skills
The Pathway School is a nonprofit special education approved private school (APS). Founded in 1961, Pathway serves students with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbances, and other neurological impairments. Pathway’s programs are licensed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Private Academic Schools and approved by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education to serve students ages 5–21, grades Kindergarten through 12+.
Mission: Promote Success and Independence
The mission of The Pathway School is to build academic, social, and life skills in students with special needs to promote their success and independence after Pathway.
Watch the video below to meet some of our students and learn how our PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) model supports their success!
History: Among the first schools of its kind
At its founding in 1961, Pathway was among very few schools in the Greater Philadelphia area designed exclusively for children with special education needs by merging clinical and behavioral services with education. Since then, Pathway has increased enrollment and staff who support the students, developed a vibrant learning environment on a 12-acre campus in Montgomery County, and solidified its reputation as a leader in innovative, high-quality programs and services.
A Message from Pathway's President & CEO
Dear Pathway School Community:
The first weeks of a new school year are always filled with excitement and anticipation. This year will be no different! We are looking forward to welcoming 185 students to our beautiful campus and more throughout the school year.
Over the summer, we have worked on updating the campus’s look and feel. Our students, staff, and visitors will experience a colorful campus with many opportunities to learn and grow in our inventive school environment.
During the 2026-27 school year, our students will work within specialized classroom management systems like Positive Behavior Supports and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. Pathway has been a leader in Pennsylvania through its implementation of Positive Behavior Supports, and we are proud to again be a leader in special education by instituting Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. These initiatives are designed to quickly assess individual students’ strengths and needs and to implement supportive programs in our classrooms and on an individualized student basis. This is an overly technical way of saying we will gauge both what is working and what is not working for each of our students and quickly provide supports to help each student succeed in the classroom.
We look forward to continuing our extracurricular activities such as educational and competitive robotics, drama, performing arts, and our sports and cheer team.
We can’t wait to welcome students, families, visitors, and friends to Pathway’s campus!
Sincerely,
David J. Schultheis
President & CEO
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