Overlake Specialty School

The Overlake Specialty School is an academic, year-round school serving the special needs of students in elementary through high school. Each student comes to the Specialty School with different life experiences, dispositions and learning histories. We provide a therapeutic environment where students learn functional, social, academic and behavioral skills by direct instruction and hands-on experience through healthy relationships with adults and peers.

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Who We Are

The mission of Overlake Specialty School is to provide a caring educational community where students develop healthy relationships and intrinsic values. Overlake Specialty School utilizes a holistic, strength-based approach for positive behavior change that facilitates students' reintegration to their home communities.

The Specialty School is a unique program coordinated with school districts, community service providers, families and others to meet the special needs of students in grades K through 12. The program is committed to Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) through application of the principles of Re-ED and the techniques of Life Space Crisis Intervention to our work with students.

The school has seven classrooms designed to support students with specialized needs:

• Two elementary school classrooms serving students aged 5 to 11.
• Two middle school classroom serving students aged 11 to 14.
• High school classrooms serving students aged 14 to 21.

The school is a non-public agency approved through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. This credential allows our program to contract directly with public schools to provide services necessary to meet the individual needs of each student. Overlake Specialty School is committed to active partnerships with school districts, serving as an optional placement for districts when they have exhausted their resources for students who are behaviorally and emotionally challenged.

Our Multidisciplinary Team

We are staffed with certified special education teachers, behavior intervention specialists, para-educators, instructional assistants, certified therapeutic recreation specialists, master's level mental health counselors and an active management team.

How the Overlake Specialty School Can Help

Each student comes to the Specialty School with different life experiences, dispositions and learning histories. We provide a therapeutic environment where students learn functional, social, academic and behavioral skills by direct instruction and hands-on experience through healthy relationships with adults and peers.

The Overlake Specialty School Goals

• To provide students with consistency and a sincere attitude to help establish trust and respect.
• To teach students the skills necessary to regulate and monitor their own behavior consistent with social norms.
• To enhance student self esteem and positive social/emotional development.
• To orient students toward successful relationships with authority figures.
• To encourage the acquisition of skills needed for the successful transition from school to community.
• To reintegrate students as soon as possible to the least restrictive school setting.
• To provide support for the students’ families.
• To offer a drug-free and safe environment.