Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and Least Restrictive Environment
Federal and State regulations require that students have access to a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Restrictiveness is determined by the degree to which a placement removes a student from the typical regular education classroom in the student’s home school, or school of choice.
When determining a student’s placement, it is imperative that the placement allows for the highest degree of success in the educational setting while at the same time promoting the greatest opportunities for independence and development of personal responsibility for fulfillment of classroom expectations. Sometimes this means a student will require specially designed instruction for a period of time in the Resource Center, or with a related service provider. Sometimes this means a student will require some extra adult assistance within the regular education setting along with Resource Center support. Other times, students require a self-contained or significantly restrictive alternative placement to gain benefit from their educational program. Deciding whether a student needs to have an instructional assistant should not be taken lightly.
Guidelines and tips for supporting student independence
The ultimate goal is for all students whether disabled or not, to learn routines, procedures and expectations of the classroom culture so they can function independently at the highest possible level of success. The following is a cueing hierarchy to consider whether supports provided are the least intrusive as possible.
Most to least intrusive:
Full physical
Partial physical
Verbal prompt
Visual prompt
Modeling
Natural teacher prompt/cue
Guidelines for effective cueing:
Do not provide a prompt for a skill that a student currently performs independently.
Gain student attention
Prompt a desired response initially
Use the least intrusive effective prompt
Prompt from behind when using full physical prompts
Avoid verbal prompts whenever possible
Avoid unplanned prompts (e.g. facial expressions, eye contact)
Use prompts in conjunction with reinforcement
All prompts need to be faded over time (Refer to Fade Plan)
After a student masters a skill, discontinue using the prompt
Continue providing reinforcement when the student exhibits the desired response/behavior
Fading prompts are needed to avoid “Prompt Dependency”
Fading Prompts
Fading prompts: Allows students to change from responding to instructional prompts to responding to natural cues in the environment.
Fade prompts to allow responses to occur independently!
The reduction of the intensity or magnitude of a particular type of prompt over time while maintaining the reward contingency.
Prompts can be faded in terms of:
Intensity
Location
Intensity:
Verbal prompt: Gradual decrease in volume (quietly)
Verbal prompt: Saying less of the word (Bob – “B”)
Visual prompts: Decrease highlighting or coloration to become lighter and lighter until they disappear
Physical prompt: Reduction of tight hand over hand to shadowing
Location:
Full physical hand over hand to wrist, to the elbow, to the shoulder, to next to (within 1 foot, to 3 feet, to 5 feet away, etc.)
Proximity to student: next to student, within line of vision within the classroom, etc.