Least Restrictive Environment: Understanding How Schools and Districts Provide Special Education Services

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is considering the setting or place where your child will be educated to best meet their individual instructional needs. The preference is for students to be learning alongside peers without disabilities as much as possible. Your child’s learning environment can be thought of as on a continuum from least restrictive to most restrictive, as shown below.

When thinking about the restrictiveness of learning environments, we need to consider the services provided within your child’s school, as well as what may be available at the district-level. So far, we have been focused on the special education services provided within your child’s school. Some students attend large districts with multiple elementary, middle, or high schools. In these situations, some educational services may be provided at a district level, rather than an individual school. For example, perhaps your child responded well to co-teaching, but the middle school they are to attend next year does not provide co-teaching. However, another middle school in the district has been providing co-teaching for several years. You can talk with your district’s Special Education Department to see if there is an option to transfer your child to a different school that might provide the services in a manner more beneficial for your child. You might need to ask questions about what is happening at the district level to learn more about what is available for your child. You can also ask your school professional about how services are provided in other schools within your district or contact your school district's Director of Special Education.

Further, districts might have specific programs for children with specific disabilities. For example, some have stand-alone classrooms or buildings specifically for students with emotional or behavioral needs. The district also may have contracts with privately operated specialty day schools that your child can attend if it is deemed beneficial to their learning. Remember that these types of day school services are considered more restrictive learning environments. These type of options should be explored only after your child received instruction in a general education setting, but it was determined to have been unsuccessful. Just knowing that other options exist for families is helpful.

Talking to professionals within your child’s building and then expanding (the conversation) to your child’s district might help you become aware of additional services available to support your child’s educational or behavioral success. As a guide, remember that the goal will be to provide your child services in the least restrictive environment (LRE) where they are successful. Your child will not move to a more restrictive level of placement without experiencing documented difficulties in less restrictive environments.

Many students are served successfully in less restrictive environments, but it can be helpful for parents and guardians to understand the types of placements that might be an option for their child.

There are many possibilities for students to learn within their neighborhood school, their district, or their community. As you and your child’s IEP team consider learning options, it is important to consider the least restrictive environment for your child to be successful. In the next lesson, we will discuss additional resources that parents and guardians might find useful within their local community to support their child’s educational achievement.

Helpful Handouts

Additional Resources