What is Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)?

According to Wright & Wright (2006): The definition of “least restrictive environment” did not change in IDEA 2004. Schools are required to educated children with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Judicial decisions about “mainstreaming” and “least restrictive environment” (LRE) vary, even within the same state. (p. 151)

School districts have argued for several years that requiring schools to mainstream children with disabilities in general education classrooms is unfair. The School Districts claim that some children with disabilities need personalized instruction that they cannot provide in a transition general education classroom. Wright & Wright, explains that a student has every right to be educated in the same classroom settings as their none disabled peers, but they are still entitled a “one-one or small group instruction out-side of regular class if necessary for them to learn.” (p. 151) Parents of children with disabilities that require specialized education and want to “mainstream their children find themselves fighting with school districts over this policy. It is important to understand that children learn quickly from modeling after other children. “Mainstreaming” children with intellectual disabilities teaches them unwritten social skills they cannot possibly learn from written instruction. Mainstreaming also teaches non-disabled children compassion, respect and helps them build new relationships.

Oak Harbor School District # 201 policy claims they offer “eligible only” special education students the right to be educated in Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) i.e. mainstreamed in a general education classroom with their non-disabled peers. OHSD further claims that according to their policy, “When program decisions are addressed by the IEP team, a proper consideration must be given to the LRE. Within the educational setting, the student should be placed, whenever possible: In the school the disabled child would normally attend; and, with non-disabled students in the general education setting to the maximum extent possible (5220.1 p. 14). OHSD claims that the exemption to the rule is if a child’s disability is so severe that even with “supplementary aids and services cannot be satisfactorily meet.” (5220.1, p. 14) The other portion of Least Restrictive Environment provides students the opportunity to be integrated in non-academic programs which includes physical education classes and opportunities to participate in school sports such as basketball, track, wrestling, baseball and golf. OHSD policy offers all students receiving specialized education and related services opportunities to be integrated in non-academic programs according to LRE (5220.1, p. 14) including sports, art and music. Pam Wright & Peter Wright (2006) claim "Many courts have held that the public school must make these services available, but that services do not have to be provided at the private school…If a public school places a child in a private school, the child has the same rights under IDEA as if the child attended a public school (p.151)

If our children with disabilities are to succeed in all aspects of life, we must provide a Free and Appropriate Public Education by providing them with accessing Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) to special education and related services such as secondary transitional services. Providing our children with intellectual disability an opportunity to integrate and model after their non-disabled peers in an academic and non-academic class setting is a win for both. Parents armed with the LRE have been able to include their child with intellectual disabilities in the Oak Harbor School District’s academic and non-academic programs. My son has made tremendous strides socially with friendships he made with the general education students through mainstream classes such as science, health, art and music. He was part of the middle school basketball team and continues to play basketball with his high school friends. Due to the Least Restrictive Environment and Oak Harbor School District recent will to fully embrace the policy, there are more students with intellectual disabilities participated in a wide variety of events. As with all school districts, it takes active participation by parents to make sure it stays that way. We must educate ourselves as to where our tax dollars for special education and transition services are being spent. After investigation, I found that the school districts must keep copies of the special education and related services policies onsite at the district office. It is available to the public, but the parent must ask because it is unlikely that district officials will openly suggest where to find them. Parents must be diligent and proactive in the children’s lives and understand what their rights are for a free and appropriate public education. We must prepare our children early emotionally, socially and academically for life after high school. As stated earlier, before IDEA and our secondary transition services we have today, many of our students with disabilities were ill equipped to work not only academically, but socially as well. Many of these students continued into adulthood without basic hygiene skills. I believe that this is one of the reasons why state mental hospitals stayed open and in business for so long. This is a major concern after finding out through extensive research that Washington is not a Right to Work state. It is reality that some of our young adults after high school will still require one-to-one intensive personal care, but with the tools in place, we can make a difference in helping someone be as independent as possible. Our students with disabilities need more tools in their tool belt for when the day comes that Social Security Administration will become bankrupt. A more frightening thought would be more adults with developmental disabilities homeless.

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