Welcome to Unlimited Parenting, where we discuss what it's like having children with disabilities
or and special health care needs.
My name is Allison, and today I'm going to be doing this solo and we are going to be
talking about LRE or the Least Restrictive Environment.
So this is going to be a deep dive into the concept, a key concept in IDEA, the philosophy
of LRE or Least Restrictive Environment.
So like I said, a concept of IDEA, which let's just level set.
IDEA stands for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
So that is the act that protects, supports students with disabilities when they're in
the school system, ensuring that they are getting, let's, a free and appropriate education,
faith, that they are being educated in their LRE, the Least Restrictive Environment.
As you've already noticed, Least Restrictive Environment is often referred to as LRE.
As parents, and I myself am a parent of three individuals with disabilities, we all want
our children to learn, grow, succeed, flourish in school, be their best selves.
And for children with disabilities, this includes finding that balance between providing necessary
academic or behavioral supports and ensuring that they're included with their peers as
much as often as humanly possible.
And that is where the concept of Least Restrictive Environment comes in.
What exactly is LRE?
In simple terms, Least Restrictive Environment refers to how we provide special education
services, not a specific place, like a classroom or a school.
Least Restrictive Environment is best thought of as more of a philosophy and not a specific
location.
And when I say that, I'm thinking of individuals who are potentially in the Boise School District,
who has a...
Boise School District has a lot of different classrooms that offer support, like SLC, Excel,
Extended Resource Rooms, Resource Rooms, RISE, a lot of different kinds of classrooms or
programs.
And sometimes parents can think that, oh, my child's Least Restrictive Environment is
Excel.
And sure, that might be the case.
But I want to stop individuals from thinking that a Least Restrictive Environment is a
place because it's really more of a philosophy.
Okay, let's just move on from that.
Places and charters must make available a range of placement options, right?
So it's not just Boise School District has this classroom, therefore you go to this classroom.
It has to be a range of placements, which is also known as a continuum of services,
to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities.
So this continuum of services reinforces the importance of individual decision making.
We come together as an IEP team to make the best decisions for this individual and not
a one size fits all kind of approach.
At a minimum, placement decisions must be considered at least annually.
But again, another reminder, placement options are fluid.
They're not concrete.
They're not set in stone.
You were in the ERR classroom last year, therefore you are in the ERR classroom this year because
you still have the same genetic diagnosis as you've always had.
That's not the intention behind Least Restrictive Environment.
A student could receive services in one setting and other services in a different setting.
And hopefully placements change over time based on factors such as changes in a student,
whether that's progress, which is everybody's goal, or needs.
For some students, the general education classroom isn't necessarily their least restrictive
setting.
It could be for a multitude of reasons.
Maybe it's too busy.
Maybe it's too loud.
Maybe the academic content isn't what they need.
Maybe they need lower level exile learning.
Maybe they need different math curriculum.
So it's important to understand that placement isn't an either or decision.
Rather students could receive services and supports across a combination of settings,
hence going back to that continuum.
I want to pause here and talk more about early childhood before we spend the rest of the
time really talking about least restrictive environment in terms of kindergarten through
high school.
But just like K through 12 students, early childhood students need to be educated to
the maximum extent appropriate with their typically developing peers in the general
education environment.
But you may have noticed that many districts in Idaho don't offer general education preschool
opportunities.
So how are we ensuring that they're educated as much as possible with their typical peers
if most school districts don't have typically developing classes for preschoolers?
Having said that, it doesn't eliminate the district's obligation to provide special
education and related services in least restrictive environment.
The IEP teams need to come together and consider options that allow students to be educated
with typically developing peers.
So let's break down some of what that could look like.
And I'm not going to get super into the weeds.
I'm not going to give you the LRE codes like 48 or if you want me to, you guys know where
to find me.
You can always give us a call.
I can go through all of those codes with you.
But depending on how much time a student who's being supported by an IEP spends with their
typically developing peers, it gives them a code that then gets put into the IEP to
ensure that children are still being supported with their typically educated peers.
Or their neuronormative friends.
So here's an example of what that could look like.
Service provision within a community preschool.
So maybe your child goes to a developmental preschool and then also goes to Head Start
or a YMCA or a university child care program.
Another situation could look like services provided in collaboration or consultation
with community preschool programs.
So maybe they're not enrolled full time, but they go for an hour or the community preschool
teacher consults with the special education teacher.
Or like I said, we're sharing time between developmental preschool and in a community
preschool program.
Let's take it one step further.
The goal of LRE, least restrictive environment, is absolutely to avoid unnecessary segregation.
Keyword being unnecessary.
This means that schools need to first consider whether your child can succeed in the general
education classroom with supports.
These supports could include things like extra help from a teacher's aide, modifications
to the curriculum or assistive technology.
However, least restrictive environment, if I've said it once, I've said it at least
two times now, isn't a one size fits all rule.
It's going to recognize that each child is unique and what works for one child might
not work for another one, right?
For some students, being in a general education classroom for the entire day might not be
their best fit.
They might need more specialized instruction or a different setting for part of the day.
The key is to find the right balance that allows your child to thrive.
And it's important to know that you, we, as the parent, play a crucial role or one of the
four core IEP team members, we play a crucial role in determining our child's LRE.
During the Individualized Education Program, IEP meetings, you should discuss and explore
various options with that IEP team.
Well, I hear you say that my son could be best supported here.
What data do you have for that?
What teacher observations do you have for that?
Are you taking my parental comments and feedback when you make that decision?
You would be perfectly within your bounds to ask those questions and it keeps you as
upholding your rights and responsibilities as an IEP team member.
This includes talking about the supports your child needs to succeed in that general education
setting and considering alternative replacements only when necessary.
So let's take a second to discuss the decision tree for these decisions that are made by
the IEP team.
First, the team's going to evaluate the student, right?
We are not passing go and making a decision about their placement before these things
have been done.
Evaluating the student, identifying their goals, determining their supports, and then
moving to placement.
We're not considering placement before we consider those things first.
And hopefully, the first question the IEP team is going to ask is, will this student
be successful with supports in the general education classroom?
And if the answer to that is yes, then the student's placed in the general education
classroom.
If the answer's no, the next question is hopefully, are there
additional supports that can be provided that would enable this student to be successful
in the general education classroom?
And that is referred to as push-in services.
So the student stays in the general education classroom and we push in the services to them.
So let's give an example of what this could look like.
Let's say our student's name is Mateo and he's a fourth grader with a learning disability.
Mateo's receiving the majority of instruction from his general education teacher, just like
his typical peers.
But during math, let's just say math, during math, the special education teacher comes
in to the general education classroom to work with Mateo and a small group of students who
have similar goals.
Mateo's never leaving his classroom.
He's staying the whole time with his typical peers, but he's still getting that specially
designed instruction.
Let's say the answer to that was no, that additional supports can't be provided in the
general education classroom to make the student successful.
Then we need to ask, would they benefit from a more restrictive, i.e., less inclusive setting,
would that outweigh the benefit of remaining in the general education classroom?
If that answer is yes, the team finds an option that's appropriate and in the least restrictive
setting.
But each question, the team's going to be asking themselves, are there additional supports
that can be provided that would make it so that this student is in their least restrictive
setting?
And the purpose of asking that question over and over, each time as you move down, is to
explore all the options to ensure that there is no unnecessary segregation and that students
are included.
So what if we have Amy, and she's a student with low vision, and she receives instruction
in the general education classroom with accommodations of preferential seating near the whiteboard
within large text?
At that point, Amy is being supported full time in the general education classroom.
And we have an example of Mateo, who is receiving push-in services.
Let's look at pull-out services.
Amara is a third grader, and she has a learning disability.
She is receiving the majority instruction from the general education teacher, just like
Mateo was.
She receives specialized reading instruction in the resource room from the special education
teacher for 45 minutes each day.
In this scenario, the students receiving instruction in a special education classroom referred to
as pull-out instead of push-in.
The majority of her instruction is provided in the general education classroom with accommodations,
but it's not her least restrictive environment to stay in the general education classroom
like it was Mateo's.
So what is different for her in the special education classroom?
That could look like individualized or small group instruction or consultation and collaboration
with the general education teacher.
So it's really about asking if that individual student, maybe Amara, maybe she needs it in
a quieter classroom.
Maybe she can't focus on her instruction unless it is absolutely quiet.
Because you'll remember in the prior situation, Mateo was receiving his instruction in a small
group with the special education teacher, but in the general education classroom.
But maybe Amara just needs it a little bit quieter.
So in that case, her least restrictive environment is pull-out.
Another example of least restrictive environment is an individual who is in the special education
classroom full-time.
Blaine, let's call him Blaine.
He's a middle school student with autism.
He's an autistic student.
He receives instruction for his majority of his day in a self-contained classroom.
He participates alongside his peers without disabilities during lunch and specials like
computer time or PE.
But the majority of his day is provided in a special education classroom.
General education teachers like non-academic periods like PE, art, music, they consult
with the special education teacher to provide effective instruction or support.
But he's in that special education classroom all day in small groups with other individuals
who have similar needs.
And he's still receiving that consultation.
But he's not potentially, I have also seen where students who are in the special education
classroom full-time, maybe they start the first 10 minutes of their day in the general
education classroom and they are there as long as it is still their least restrictive
environment.
When it starts to become not their least restrictive environment, after about five or 10 minutes,
they move back into that special education classroom.
But these kids in the special education classroom full-time, still go into lunch with their
typical peers, probably still go into PE with their typical peers, going on field trips
and attending assemblies.
So as I'm going, you're noticing that these settings are becoming more and more restrictive
and less and less inclusive.
And again, we're just ensuring every step of the way that there is no unnecessary segregation.
So from here on out, we're going to start discussing settings that really are restrictive
and non-inclusive and why those could be the best settings for some students.
So let's take a look at a specialized school.
So we have a student, his name is Devo, and he is deaf.
His IEP team, including his parents, determined that his state school for the deaf would best
serve his needs.
So he's not going to his neighborhood school.
He's going to a specialized school.
He attends this school during the day and then returns home after school.
So he's receiving instruction for the majority of the school day in a separate public school
or private facility.
This school is designed, staffed, resourced for the care and education of students with
similar disability-related needs.
And we'll just note that in this particular situation, he's returning home during non-school
hours.
However, there are residential options that could be available for students who live farther
away.
Now we're going to take a look at a student in a homebound situation.
So this student is in eighth grade.
He has a rare genetic disorder that affects both his physical and cognitive skills.
He attends school for three periods a day, let's say, and then he returns home.
After a rest, he receives homebound instruction for another two hours.
His homebound teacher collaborates with his general and special education teachers to
provide instruction that helps him make progress on all of his goals.
Just because he's a homebound student doesn't mean he's not also and that the school isn't
also supporting him in making progress towards his goals.
Sometimes students in homebound settings have physical or mental health challenges that
prevent them or restrict them from participating in school.
What about our students with special healthcare needs?
Maybe potentially in another situation, they're not going to school from October to April
during flu season.
And in those months, their care is homebound care because due to their special healthcare
need, maybe that is their least restrictive environment where they can learn best, where
they're farther away from potential body invaders that could make them sick.
Let's take a look at Emily.
Emily receives homebound instruction.
Certified teacher visits her home three times a week to provide instruction on core subjects.
Additionally, Emily participates in some classes virtually.
And the outcome of that is that Emily is able to continue her education despite her health
challenges.
Finally, it's hospital or a residential facility.
So let's pretend a 16-year-old student with an emotional and behavioral health disorder.
Her IEP team, which of course includes her adult, her parent, her guardian, determines
that her needs would best be met at a residential treatment facility.
Maybe she's receiving instruction from the teachers at that facility in addition to receiving
the mental health services and supports that she needs.
So she's receiving instruction in a hospital for the majority of her school day or a residential
facility.
So maybe she's getting individualized instruction per a schedule that meets her needs.
Maybe it's her medication schedule.
Maybe at typically developing peers are wide awake at noon.
And based off of a medication that this individual is taking, they are not.
So they have an adapted schedule regardless.
Please remember, the goal of the least restrictive environment is to ensure that your child has
access to the same opportunities as their peers while also receiving the individualized
support that they need to learn.
This is about inclusion.
It's about participation.
It's about making sure every child, every single child has a chance to learn and grow
in a supportive environment.
But what is it not?
LRE may not be based on the child's disabling condition or their label, their disability,
such as placement in a special needs class for students with intellectual disabilities
just because you have a cognitive impairment.
You're not going to get put in an autism classroom just because you have autism.
It may not be based on the location of staff or on the funds that are available.
If I had one mic drop comment to make, it would be that we should also be considering the effect
that children with disabilities have on their peers when they're included in these mainstream
neuro-normative classrooms.
The presence of our students, our students with diverse needs in the classroom, provides
the most profound learning experience for their peers.
This is hands-on experience in teaching them about diversity, about inclusion, about respect,
understanding and demonstrating that the world requires every kinds of people.
In the immortal words of the philosopher Robert Palmer, it takes every kind of people to make
what life's about.
The success of an inclusive classroom is going to hinge on the belief that diversity enriches
the learning experience for all students.
In these environments, students with disabilities, they aren't just present.
They aren't just sitting in their seats.
They're active valued members of the classroom and school community.
This approach, again, I'm talking about a culture of acceptance, understanding, breaking
down barriers and promoting empathy among students.
How about some final thoughts?
That was a lot.
That was a lot of information with a lot of examples.
So as I'm wrapping up today's episode, I just want to emphasize that understanding the least
restrictive environment is empowering you to help advocate effectively for your child's
education in an IEP meeting.
Please don't hesitate ever to ask questions.
Press your concerns and collaborate with the school team to find the very best possible
placement for your child.
Thank you so much, everyone out there for listening in.
If you are in Idaho or planning on moving to Idaho and have any questions on systems
or services for children with disabilities, please consider reaching out to us on our
website.
That's ipulidaho.org, I-P-U-L-I-D-A-H-O.org, or by calling us at 208-342-5884.
Be sure to tune in next time.
Until then, this has been Unlimited Parenting.
Thanks for listening.