Determining the Least Restrictive Environment

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Ciara Johnson

SPD 510 C JOHNSON.docx

Summary

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Part 2: Essay

Introduction

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law enacted to make free

Part 2; Essay

CIARA D JOHNSON

Grand Canyon University

SPD/510

Dr.Mitchell

06/30/21

appropriate public education (FAPE) available to all eligible children with disability. FAPE is

designed to ensure that the children’s unique needs are met, and the child can receive educational

benefits that comprehensively prepare them for future education, employment, and independent

living. This paper discusses the significant factors to be considered when determining the

appropriate placement for students with special needs and the optimal transition through the

continuum of placements to ensure that their needs are met, and they are accorded the required

level of support to ensure that they receive free and appropriate level of education (FAPE).

One of the critical requirements of FAPE is that for a child to receive FAPE, there must

receive meaningful educational benefit. However, the word 'meaningful' has been termed

different from 'best' education and' one that maximizes the child's potential.' Under FAPE, each

state has to identify, locate and evaluate all children with disabilities. The services provided to

the child should identify the special education and related service needs described in each

chapter. The placement and services provided for each child should be anchored on the child’s

unique needs and not disability.

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) stipulates that a child with special needs should be

educated in the same classroom as typical mainstream non-disabled peers to the fullest extent

possible to ensure that they receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). As per the LRE,

a disabled child should receive an education that is unique to the student's individual disability

and needs. LRE must be tailored to a child's individual academic programming and instruction

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(De Bruin, 2019). It is instituted that a child should only be removed from a mainstream

classroom when the nature or severity of the disability of a child is such that education, even

with supplementary aids, is unable to be achieved satisfactorily.

A continuum of placements represents a range of educational placements ranging from

least restrictive to most restrictive. The placements options are fluid and could change over time

based on the student's progress or needs. Placement to a more restrictive setting is only

implemented when the nature or severity of the disability is such that satisfactory progress in the

less restrictive placement is unachievable even with the provision of supplementary aids (Pijl,

2018).

In determining each placement option, the following should be considered; benefit to the

student, effect on peer, appropriateness and inclusion, individualization, and use of

supplementary aids and services. The benefits to be considered should include; functional,

behavioural, and socio-cultural. Some other factors used to determine appropriate placement in

the LRE for students with disabilities include; content of the student’s students IEP, the LRE

requirements, and the likelihood that the placement option will provide a high probability of the

child achieving the end of year goals (Pijl, 2018). It is also essential to consider any harmful

effects that placement option could have on the student. The effect of the placement on the

quality of services on the students’ needs should also be considered. A balance has to be

achieved between delivering appropriate education for the students and education of the student

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with others without special needs. Placement should only be done after the student has been

comprehensively assessed. In addition, the student has to be determined eligible, and the

student's support and goals are outlined in the IEP. Informal setting such as neighbourly

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playgroups or home settings should not be included in the continuum of placement since they are

not required to comply with state or district’s learning standards.

When determining educational placement, the decision should be made by a group of

people, including the parents and other knowledgeable people about the student. The

professionals who conduct testing for a particular students IEP should be invited to the IEP team

when selecting the students’ placements. The placement decision should be reviewed annually,

and the continuum of placements should be as close as possible to the student's home (Pijl,

2018).

Most of the placement services require specially designed education. Student's work, the

evaluation information from the previous placement, and other frameworks can be used to

determine strengths and weaknesses s the student moves to a new placement. The student's test

results should be constantly referred to when making decisions ( Kvande et al., 2018). If the IEP

finds that full-time education for the child cannot be achieved within the general classroom, the

student should still be included in the general classroom for an appropriate period.

An alternative placement list should be listed in the continuum. To ensure that the

student meets their learning needs, a provision for supplementary services should be provided as

an addition to the class placement. This can involve itinerant instruction or resource room.

Access should also be provided to state-wide and district-wide assessment programs, but

accommodations could be included where it is necessary. Some of the consideration to be done

when selecting the LRE will involve; considerations of all available education opportunities that

the student would not have a particular need, age and assigned grade level ( Kvande et al., 2018).

As earlier highlighted, it should always be based on the student’s IEP and unique needs. When

selecting the continuum of placements, it should never be based on; availability of space,

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category of disability, availability of related services, amounts of funds present, or administrative

convenience. This is very important.

As a child transitions from one placement to another, it is best that they are well prepared

and that all stakeholders are involved. A parent is required to discuss with school administration

and child's teachers and school administration to understand the available options. The parent

could also visit the upcoming setting to ensure that it is as described and meets the stipulations

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provided by the district. This will help the child meet the required needs in each placement.

The aim should be to have the children in less restrictive programs for a longer time. This

may include general education with no supplementary aids or services. In a case where this is not

possible, the less restrictive placement would be general education with supplementary aids and

services. This should cover itinerant instructions and resource room instructional support.

Additionally, the student level of performance at the current placement should be

assessed to ensure that they have exhausted the required objectives in that placement. The

requirements for the new placement should be met exhaustively (Kim et al., 2019).

Identification of critical factors such as modifications, adaptations or any other support is needed

in the new location. The district should provide transportation to the student. If transport is not

provided, then the parent or guardian has to be reimbursed. This will enable them to provide

convenient transport for the student.

In conclusion, students with disabilities must be slotted in the most appropriate

continuum of placements. These process and decisions should be individualized to each student.

It should be evidence-based, and all key stakeholders should be involved. This will ensure that

students with special needs are well met and that they are accorded the required level of support.

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References

De Bruin, K. (2019). The impact of inclusive education reforms on students with disability: an

international comparison. International journal of inclusive education, 23(7-8), 811-826.

Kim, E., Zhang, J., & Sun, X. (2019). Comparison of Special Education in the United States,

Korea, and China. International journal of special education, 33(4), 796-814.

Kvande, M. N., Belsky, J., & Wichstrøm, L. (2018). Selection for special education services: the

role of gender and socio-economic status. European Journal of Special Needs

Education, 33(4), 510-524.

Pijl, S. J. (2018). The resources for regular schools with special needs students: an international

perspective. In Towards inclusive schools? (pp. 54-62). Routledge.