Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): What

You Need to Know

By Amanda Morin

At a Glance
 Least restrictive environment (LRE) isn’t a place; it’s a principle that guides your child’s
educational program.
 Special education law says your child should be learning with his peers.
 When LRE comes up, so do the words “mainstreaming” and “inclusion.”
When your child’s Individualized Education
Program (IEP) team meets, it talks about many
things. That includes your child’s areas of strength,
areas of weakness and present level of
performance. The team also talks about the “least
restrictive environment,” or LRE, for your child’s
education.

The word “environment” makes LRE sound like

a place. But it actually is more about your child’s
educational program. Where your child learns is
only one piece of the program.

Least Restrictive Environment

(LRE)
LRE is part of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). IDEA says that children
who receive special education should learn in the
least restrictive environment. This means they
should spend as much time as possible with peers
who do not receive special education.

IDEA says two things about LRE that are

important to understand when working with the
IEP team:

1. Your child should be with kids in general education to the “maximum extent that is
appropriate.”
2. Special classes, separate schools or removal from the general education class should only
happen when your child’s learning or thinking difference—his “disability” under
 IDEA—is so severe that supplementary aids and services can’t provide him with an
appropriate education.
A key word here is “appropriate.” It refers to
what’s suitable or right for your child. Sometimes,
putting a child in a general education classroom
isn’t suitable because a specific service or program
can’t be provided there.

Mainstreaming and Inclusion

When LRE comes up, so do the words
“mainstreaming” and “inclusion.” Many people
think these terms mean the same thing, but they’re
slightly different.

A mainstream classroom is a general education

classroom. Mainstreaming means putting your
child with special education needs in the general
education classroom for some or most of the day.
Your child may also have some instruction in a
special education classroom.

“The intent of LRE is to make sure that kids who receive special education are included in the
general education classroom as often as possible.”
The details are outlined in an IEP based on your
child’s needs. Keep in mind that the
word mainstreaming is being used less and less by
schools.

An inclusion classroom is a general education

classroom that has students who receive special
education. Inclusion is a teaching approach that
focuses on including students with special
education needs in the school community.

Inclusion goes beyond placement in a general

education class. It also aims to have a child
participate in the classroom, lessons and
extracurricular activities.

Different Types of LRE

The basic idea of LRE is straightforward. Still, it’s
often a hot-button issue at meetings. IDEA doesn’t
spell out the LRE for each type of disability. It can
 be open to interpretation. There isn’t necessarily
one “right” environment for all kids. And at times,
it may better or more suitable for a child to learn
separately.

The intent of LRE is to make sure that kids who

receive special education are included in the
general education classroom as often as possible.
But agreeing on how that happens isn’t always
easy. The IEP team, which includes you, decides
what the LRE is for your child. Here are some
common LRE scenarios:

 General education classroom with support. Your child spends the entire day in a
general education class. He receives supports and services like a tutor or aide, assistive
technology, related services, accommodations, modifications or any combination of
these.
 Partial mainstream/inclusion classroom. Your child spends part of the day in a general
education class. He gets some individual or small-group instruction in a special education
class, or is pulled out of class for some services.
 Special education class. This is a program with specialized instruction for kids with
similar learning needs.
 Specialized program outside of your school district. This includes private schools,
residential programs and hospital programs.
Understanding what LRE means can help you get
the best experience for your child at school. To
learn more, explore tips for developing annual IEP
goals. You also may want to take a look at possible
accommodations your child can get in a general
education classroom.

Key Takeaways
 IDEA leaves “least restrictive
environment” open to interpretation.
 There are several ways to make sure kids
who receive special education are learning
with their general education peers.
 As a member of the IEP team, you’ll be
involved in figuring out your child’s LRE.
https://www.masters-in-special-education.com/special-education-in-the-least-restrictive-environment-
inclusion/

https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/special-education-basics/least-
restrictive-environment-lre-what-you-need-to-know

http://www.specialednews.com/special-education-dictionary/lre---least-restrictive-environment.htm
LRE - Least Restrictive
Environment
In the special education world, a least restrictive environment refers to
the classroom placement of a child with disabilities where he or she can
have the most freedom to be a child.
Some disabilities prevent the child from being fully mainstreamed with typical peers. These are
the children for whom Individualized Education Teams need to find the best of both worlds. They
need to be safe at school, but also need to experience as much freedom and independence as
possible.

For some children, a typical classroom with minimal extra help is a least restrictive
environment (LRE). For children with severe disabilities, a self-contained classroom with an aide and
classmates that are also disabled may be the LRE.

The hardest children to place are the ones who have hidden disabilities that may not be understood by
their typical peers, such as autism. They may have behaviors that disrupt a typical classroom, but are
too high-functioning to do well in a self-contained unit. What many parents do not realize is that the
LRE for their child may be different places at different times of the school day.

When the Individual Education Plan (IEP) is written, the team must evaluate where the children
will be the happiest and most successful for the entire day. If a child can succeed in a typical
classroom for instruction, but at recess must be closely supervised, that can be written into the IEP.

In this way, the special needs child can interact with typical peers whenever possible and still have
support throughout the day. Least Restrictive Environments can be the most difficult part of the
IEP to decide. Every child responds differently to school situations. Different events during the week,
such as physical education or music, can change how a child reacts in his or her LRE.