Special education day school · Spokane · Tacoma · Longview
Raising the standard for special education.
Lilac Learning Center is a day school where instruction is built on the science of learning and behavior — for students whose needs exceed what the district setting can currently provide.
Refer a student
Who we serve, our assessment process, and how to submit a student for consideration.
See the placement process → CareersWork here
Behavior technicians, BCBAs, and certificated special education teachers at all three sites.
See open positions →Our approach
The science is the instruction.
Applied behavior analysis isn't a therapy we deliver alongside the school day — it's the foundation of how we teach. That distinction shows up in every classroom decision we make.
Individually designed
Instruction is built for one student at a time, from that student's present skills — not from a curriculum applied uniformly to a group.
Directly measured
We take data on what a student actually does, so a program that isn't working gets changed on evidence rather than on impression.
Built to transfer
We teach skills that hold up in daily life — at home, in the community, and in the next setting — not only at a table with a familiar adult.
How placement works
Placement begins with the district.
We assess and accept students only when the sending district initiates the request and contracts for the placement. Families are always welcome to learn about our program — but a placement decision belongs to the IEP team.
- District submits a student for consideration
- Virtual meeting with the sending team
- One to two observations in the current setting
- Site visit with the student, family, and district representative
- Placement determination returned to the district
If we offer placement, the district shares the determination with the family and the enrollment packet is completed. We finalize the contract before the student's first day.
What we're working toward
The least restrictive support that works.
Every student's plan is written toward independence and the least restrictive setting in which they can succeed. How long that takes is a question we answer with the student, not in advance.
A planned return
Some students spend a year or two with us and then begin a structured transition back to their district school, with support that steps down as they take on more.
A longer stay
Others remain at Lilac for a significant part of their education, and we support the transition into adult services when that time comes.
Both are successful outcomes. Neither is decided on the first day.
What we do
Two services for districts.
Day school
A full-day placement for students from kindergarten through age 22. Every student is supported at a minimum one-to-one ratio, with a certificated special education teacher and a behavior analyst working across roughly fifteen students. Speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and educational psychology evaluation are included in the placement.
District consultation
Support for district teams serving students in their own buildings, contracted as five or ten hours a month. Designed to keep a student where they are and build the capacity of the staff around them.
Locations
Three sites, one program.
Each location runs the same day school program. The sites differ in size, not in model.
Careers
The job you trained for.
Protected prep time every day, a team around every student, and a career ladder with paid rungs. We're funded by school districts rather than insurance, so your hours go to students instead of to a payer.
Behavior technicians
Hiring at all three sites. No prior experience needed — we provide the 40-hour training in-house. Staff hours are 8:00 to 4:00, with pay ranges on every posting.
BCBAs
Supervision is the job, not something squeezed between sessions. Free continuing education in-house — we're an approved BACB ACE provider.
Certificated teachers
Special education teachers who want behavioral expertise in the building rather than a classroom managed alone. Washington certification, or actively working toward it — we support candidates in progress.