What does LRE stand for?
Least Restrictive Environment.The law ensures that, “To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities…are educated with children who are not disabled, and…removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when…education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.” 20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(5)(A)A child should be placed in the least restrictive setting which still allows the child to learn. His or her placement should be as close as possible to the school the child would have attended if not disabled. The LRE for each child is therefore different. Indeed, due to his or her disability, one child might require a more restrictive placement (such as smaller group, special class, different school) to learn. However, the more restrictive placement might still be that individual child’s LRE.
