Local resources in Spokane
Ordered by review count, then name. Providers cannot pay to be listed, ranked, or edited.
10 resources in Spokane
1. Caravel Autism Health — Spokane
Comprehensive diagnostic evaluations for autism, and centre-based ABA therapy for young children, with services tailored to individual needs.
Ages 12 months to 9 years 11 months (diagnostic); up to 6 years 11 months (ABA)
2. City of Spokane — Therapeutic Recreation Services
Adaptive recreational sports and activities (bowling, swimming, basketball, biking) for disabled residents, with fee reductions and scholarships available.
Ages 6–99
3. Gerdin Psychological Services
Comprehensive psychological assessment for autism spectrum disorder, with particular expertise in adults and women.
Ages 8 and up
4. Joya Child & Family Development
Comprehensive early intervention programme (ages birth-3) combining therapy (speech, physical, occupational), special education, nursing and social services.
Ages Birth to three
5. KiDDS Dental — Liberty Lake
Paediatric dentistry with conscious sedation options for autistic and disabled children.
Ages Infants, children and adolescents
6. KidSmile Dental
Paediatric dentistry with specialist training in autism and other disabilities, with sedation options for anxious children.
Ages Children
7. Northwest Autism Center
Free screening and ABA therapy (on-site, in-home, community-based or telehealth), speech-language pathology, occupational therapy and parent/caregiver training.
Ages Up to age 21
8. Special Olympics Washington — East Region
Seasonal sports training and competition (Bocce, Softball and Golf in summer; Bowling and Flag Football in fall) for intellectually disabled athletes.
Ages Children and adults with intellectual disabilities
9. Spokane Regional Health District — Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs
Free family support and navigation service helping connect autistic children and families to medical, financial and educational resources, including financial assistance for eligible families.
Ages Birth to 18
10. The Arc of Spokane
Free peer-led parent support (Parent to Parent programme) and sibling workshops (Sibshops ages 8–13) for families whose children have intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Ages All ages
The short answer for Spokane
- Under 3: call Spokane Regional Health District's ESIT program at 509-324-1651; a Family Resource Coordinator arranges the evaluation, and no diagnosis is required to start.
- 3 and up: Spokane Public Schools' special education office coordinates Child Find, with a directory listing building-level contacts for every school.
- NEWESD 101's Center for Special Education Services backs Spokane Public Schools and 58 other districts across seven northeastern Washington counties.
- DDA enrollment runs through one statewide line, 1-800-314-3296, regardless of which Washington county you live in.
Spokane's early intervention door is Spokane Regional Health District, the county's ESIT lead agency inside Washington's statewide Part C system, DCYF's Early Support for Infants and Toddlers.
Spokane Public Schools runs Child Find for children three and up, NEWESD 101 backs dozens of northeastern Washington districts with specialized support, and DSHS's Developmental Disabilities Administration is the state's long-term-supports agency.
Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the Washington page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to Spokane (Spokane County).
Early intervention under 3: Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) — Spokane Regional Health District
Spokane County's ESIT Lead Agency is Spokane Regional Health District, one of four county-based Lead Agencies carrying out Washington's Part C system for DCYF. Families call directly to describe a developmental concern in a child from birth to three; a Family Resource Coordinator then arranges the evaluation and, if the child qualifies, helps set up services with one of the district's five local ESIT providers.
- Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) — Spokane Regional Health District
- Referral phone: 509-324-1651
New to early intervention? Read the plain-language guide first.
School districts and special education
Spokane Public Schools handles Child Find for children inside city limits, while NEWESD 101 provides shared specialized support the district and its neighbors draw on. State rule sets a district's response-to-referral window at 25 school days and, if an evaluation follows, a 35-school-day completion deadline.
- Spokane Public Schools — district special education directory lists building-level contacts for each school.
Other places to ask — not a substitute for the district
An evaluation request has to go to the school district itself; only the district can start the legal timeline. These are for asking questions about the process, or for when the district has not responded.
- NEWESD 101 — Center for Special Education Services — not a second division — the regional educational service district supporting Spokane Public Schools and 58 other districts across northeastern Washington.
Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in Spokane
We have not yet verified a hospital or university evaluation program with public intake information in Spokane. That is a gap in our research, not a sign there is nothing here — and it does not stand between you and an evaluation. The school district evaluation above is free, and early intervention under 3 does not need a private diagnosis first.
Disability services and waivers: Washington DSHS — Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA)
Across Washington, DDA enrollment begins with one statewide intake line, 1-800-314-3296, whether you live in Seattle, Spokane, or a small town between them. Once your documents are in, eligibility staff have 30 days to respond, and from there DDA offers five home and community-based waivers — though a specific waiver slot depends on funded capacity, not eligibility alone.
Local organizations that help Spokane families
- The Arc of Spokane — family-support resources and referrals for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Spokane area
Documented waits and access notes
Wait times change. Each note below links to the public source it came from — confirm current status directly with the program.
- State code gives Spokane Public Schools 25 school days after a referral to decide whether to evaluate, then 35 more school days to finish testing and reach an eligibility decision if it proceeds. (source)
- Spokane Regional Health District works to the same 45-day post-referral limit IDEA sets for Part C nationwide — Washington has not written in extra time for ESIT the way some other states have. (source)
- Statewide, DDA reported 20,231 people on its no-paid-services caseload as of December 2024 — eligible for the agency's supports but without a funded slot yet, a figure that applies to Spokane County the same as anywhere else. (source)
Paying for support in Spokane
Washington law (SB 5059, enacted 2014) obligates state-regulated health plans to pay for autism spectrum disorder evaluation and treatment, ABA included, up to age 21; large self-funded employer plans are governed by federal ERISA rules instead. Apple Health, Washington's Medicaid program, covers ABA for children who complete a Centers of Excellence evaluation first.
Nothing here is a recommendation — we list what exists, note what a provider says about itself, and let parents tell you the rest.
Common questions from Spokane parents
Sources
- [1]Spokane Regional Health District — Early Support for Infants and Toddlers. Open source
- [2]Spokane Regional Health District — ESIT Eligibility. Open source
- [3]DCYF — Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT). Open source
- [4]Spokane Public Schools — Special Education. Open source
- [5]NEWESD 101 — Special Education. Open source
- [6]DSHS — Developmental Disabilities Administration. Open source
- [7]DSHS — How to Enroll in DDA. Open source
- [8]HCA — Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy under Apple Health. Open source
- [9]The Arc of Spokane — Family Supports. Open source
Researched 2026-08-14 from published sources. Programs and links change — confirm with the agency before relying on any detail. This page is information, not legal or medical advice.