Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) describes the educational environment where children with disabilities receive their special education and related services. The Jan. 9, 2017, “Dear Colleague” letter from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services reaffirms that “all young children with disabilities should have access to inclusive high-quality early childhood programs where they are provided with individualized and appropriate supports to enable them to meet high expectations.”
In accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), children ages 3-21 are entitled to a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). LRE requires that, to the extent possible, children with disabilities should have access to the general education curriculum, along with learning activities and settings that are available to their peers without disabilities (Division for Early Childhood, 2009).
A child’s individualized education program (IEP) team makes a decision about where the child will receive special education services by determining the least restrictive environment for that child. During the IEP team meeting, the team must consider the child’s placement in a less restrictive environment before considering placement in a more restrictive environment. “Many preschool children are referred to separate settings, such as special education preschool classrooms, as a first resort. This may be especially true for children with more significant disabilities, despite evidence that inclusion is beneficial to children across ability levels” (U.S. Department of Education, 2015, p.6). The IEP team starts by considering a general education preschool classroom with natural proportions and that provides all necessary supplemental aids and services. When determining a child’s least restrictive environment, an IEP team must consider all options defined within Ohio’s continuum of services, addressing the following:
- Settings where a child would be if he or she were not identified as a child with a disability
- Child’s ability to access, participate, and make progress in the general education curriculum with appropriate aids, services and supports
Ohio’s Operating Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities say that the least restrictive environment for preschool has the same meaning as that defined in Ohio law. As such, (a) The first placement option considered for each child with a disability shall be the general education setting the child would attend if he or she did not have a disability; (b) All options listed as placements on the continuum (not listed as Best Practice) must be made available; (c) Removing a child from his or her general educational setting (such as regular routines or activities) or removing a child from nondisabled peers to provide specially designed instruction and/or related services requires individualized justification in the child’s IEP. In Ohio, this represents minimal compliance.