For families
You can call us today. Placement starts with your IEP team.
Both of those are true, and this page explains why — along with what you can do if you think Lilac might be right for your child.
Start with a conversation
We're glad to talk with you.
If you're wondering whether Lilac might fit your child, call us. We'll walk you through what the program is, who it serves well, and what a day here actually looks like. There's no cost, no commitment, and you don't need anyone's permission to have that conversation.
We'd rather you understand the program clearly — including whether it isn't right for your child — than wonder about it.
Book a conversation or call 509 844 2429
How placement works
Why it starts with your district.
Lilac is a private day school that serves students placed here by their school district. Your district stays responsible for your child's education, and it funds and contracts the placement.
That means we can't enroll a student directly, and we don't begin an assessment unless the district has asked us to. This isn't red tape. A placement only works when the district is part of it from the start — they hold the IEP, they arrange transportation, and they stay involved the whole way through. A placement built around them rather than with them tends to come apart.
What you can do
You're on the team that decides.
Placement decisions are made by your child's IEP team, and you are a member of it.
- You can request an IEP meeting at any time — you don't have to wait for the annual review
- Describe plainly what isn't working in the current setting, and what you've seen at home
- Ask the team whether a different placement should be considered and evaluated
- You can name Lilac specifically. Once your district reaches out to us, we'll take it from there
If it would help to understand the program before that meeting so you can speak to it accurately, call us first. That's exactly what the conversation is for.
The program
What a day here looks like.
Every student has their own person
Students are supported one-to-one, some with more than one adult, by a technician who knows them. Behind that, a special education teacher and a behavior analyst design and adjust the programming.
We teach communication first
For most of our students, difficult behavior is doing a job — asking for something, escaping something, saying something they have no other way to say. Our work is to teach the skills and communication that make those behaviors unnecessary.
Learning outside the building
Community outings are part of the educational program, and we transport students ourselves. Skills that only work in a classroom aren't much use, so we practise them where your child will need them.
A longer year
We run 205 to 220 days, closing for five weeks spread across the year rather than one long summer. For students who lose ground over a long break, that continuity matters.
If your district refers your child
What happens next, and where you fit.
The whole process usually takes six to eight weeks. You're part of it throughout.
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We meet with the school team
A conversation with your district's team about your child's current programming and what has been tried.
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We observe your child where they are now
One or two visits to their current classroom. Seeing your child in their own setting tells us far more than paperwork can.
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You visit us
You, your child, and someone from your district come and see the site together. This visit matters as much for you as it does for us — you should leave knowing whether it feels right, and asking us anything you want.
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We make a determination
We decide whether we can serve your child well and send that to your district, who will share it with you. If we offer placement, there's an enrollment packet to complete and a contract between us and the district before the first day.
Sometimes the answer is no
We turn down placements when we don't believe we can serve a student well, and we'd rather say so than take a student we'll fail. If that's our answer, we'll be clear with your district about why — which is useful information for finding the setting that does fit.
Get in touch
Ask us anything.
No question is too small, and you don't need to have decided anything first.
Book a time
Pick a slot that suits you for a short conversation about the program.