History

Bridgeway opened as Helping Hands Center for Special Needs in 2005 in Worthington. In 2008, the organization moved to the Old North neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio – 2500 Medary Avenue. Today, the organization’s classrooms employ evidence-based teaching and therapy methods and offer many unique assets. In January 2016, Helping Hands Center for Special Needs changed its name to Bridgeway Academy. The name and brand change is the result of the exponential growth of the organization over the past 16 years.

In the Fall of 2017, the Secondary School and Therapy Center opened at 2155 Fenton Street in the Morse Road Corridor. The building housed grades 4-12 and the Life Skills and Vocational Skills Center. The Medary Avenue building became known as the Primary School and Therapy Center and housed grades pre-K through 3.

In September 2019, Bridgeway Academy acquired a facility that, when completely transformed, would fully meet the needs of the organization and the community we serve. This 115,000-square-foot property is set on a 23-acre property, is ADA accessible, and has plenty of parking. Built in the 1970s, it was originally constructed as an educational facility, housing DeVry University and Chamberlain University College of Nursing.

After completing a fundraising campaign in 2020, the building was renovated and furnished with a unique design that best serves children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

In the Winter of 2021, the Secondary School and Therapy Center moved into the new building, at 1350 Alum Creek Drive. The Primary School and Therapy Center joined them in the Spring of 2021. This facility allows us to unite our programs and our families onto one campus and broaden our services to meet a deep community need. This includes expanding Education Center services through age 21, and our newly-accredited High School Academic Program (Grades 9-12).