Do you have a child with autism, or a learning disability that is in a regular classroom? Do you have a child with another disability that is in a self contained classroom, and you would like them to receive some mainstreaming? This article will discuss the individuals with disabilities education act (IDEA) requirements, for least restrictive environment (LRE), and how you can use them to benefit your child’s education.
IDEA states: “To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities . . . are educated with children who are non disabled.” What this means is that children with disabilities, have the right to be educated with children without disabilities.
IDEA also states: “Special classes, separate schooling or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only if the nature and severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.”
IDEA requires a continuum of placement options. These options start in the regular classroom go to a special class, special school, hospital program etc.
Ways to use LRE to help your child:
1. Use the requirements of LRE, to gain access for your child to the regular classroom curriculum. Many studies have shown that children with disabilities that have access to the regular education curriculum, do better in their education. LRE requires that placement option discussions need to start at the regular classroom, and then become more restrictive, as the child’s disability warrants.
2.If your child requires a self contained placement, use the requirements of LRE to help them receive mainstreaming. When a child is young 5-9 years, there are a lot of opportunities for interaction with non disabled children. Lunch, recess, arts and crafts, music, special parties or projects. Children with behavioral issues can learn appropriate behavior by having contact with non disabled children.
3. Use the LRE requirements of IDEA to get your child a placement other than the regular classroom, if their educational needs require it. Many school districts only offer an inclusive (regular education) placement; which they are not allowed to do under the “continuum of placement options” in IDEA.
4. Use the LRE requirements of IDEA to get your child “supplementary aids and services” that will help your child succeed in the regular classroom. These aids and services can be anything that your child needs in order to benefit from a regular classroom placement. For Example: A classroom aide, an individual aide, shorter assignments, tape recorder, modified curriculum, modified or shorter tests, ability to take tests verbally, etc. The list is endless, just depends on your child’s educational needs.
By knowing the least restrictive environment requirements, you will be able to successfully advocate for the placement that will meet your child’s educational needs. Remember that LRE is different for each child, depending on their disability and needs.
By: JoAnn Collins
Posts Tagged ‘Lre’
Special Education Acronyms – What Do All Those Letters Mean?
October 13th, 2009
Do you sometimes wonder what some of the Acronyms in special education mean? Do the acronyms make your head spin? This article will discuss common special education acronyms and what they mean. This will make it easier for you to actively participate in your child with disabilities education.
1. FAPE: stands for Free Appropriate Public Education. Each child has the right under IDEA to receive a free appropriate public education.
2. IDEA: stands for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; which is the federal law that applies to special education.
3. IDEA 2004: This is the federal law that was reauthorized in 2004. If you see this in an article, it usually means that something was changed in IDEA, by the reauthorization in 2004.
4. LEA: stands for the local educational agency, which is your local school district.
5. SEA: stands for the state educational agency, which is your states board of education.
6. IEP: stands for the Individual Educational Plan, which must be developed for every child that receives special education services.
7. LRE: stands for Least Restrictive Environment. LRE means that children with disabilities need to be educated in the least restrictive environment, in which they can learn. LRE starts at the regular classroom, and becomes more restrictive.
8. NCLB: stands for the No Child Left Behind Act.
9. IEE’s: stands for an Independent Educational Evaluation. These are initiated and paid for by parents, to help determine their child’s disability or educational needs.
10. IEE’s at Public Expense: stands for an IEE where the school district pays for it. There are rules that apply to this, that you must learn before requesting an IEE at public expense. Many special education personnel try and do things that are not allowed under IDEA, so you need to educate yourself.
11. ASD: stands for Autism Spectrum Disorder, which some school districts use in their paperwork.
12. ADD: stands for Attention Deficit Disorder.
13. ADHD: stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
14. PWN: stands for Prior Written Notice. Parents must be given PWN when the school district wants to change things in the child’s IEP. (such as eligibility, change services, refuse to change services etc.).
15. ABA: stands for Applied Behavioral Analysis that is an educational treatment for Autism.
16. SID: stands for Sensory Integration Disorder. A lot of children with Autism have difficulty with sensory integration.
17. SPD: stands for Sensory Processing Disorder which is the same as above, but some people in the special education field, call it different names.
By understanding the acronyms used by special education personnel, you can be a better advocate for an appropriate education for your child.
By: JoAnn Collins
