What is Placement in the Least Restrictive Environment?

The IEP team determines the type of placement or educational setting that is appropriate for providing your child with the instruction he/she needs. In determining the appropriate placement, the IEP team must ensure that, to the maximum extent appropriate, your child is educated with his/her non-disabled peers and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removals from age-appropriate general education classrooms occur only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in the general education classroom with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

The continuum of placements from less to more restrictive includes: General education schools

• General education classroom with accommodations and modifications

• General education classroom with supplementary aids and supports

• General education classroom with related services

• General education classroom with resource specialist services

• General education classroom and special day class program

Special day class program

• Special schools or centers

• Special day class program

Nonpublic schools

• Nonpublic school or center

Home or hospital

• Instruction in the home or hospital

Residential

• State special school*

• Nonpublic school or center

Your child will be educated in the school he/she would attend if non-disabled unless the IEP team determines some other location is required to meet your child’s needs identified in the IEP. That location will be as close as possible to your home.

*State special schools provide services to students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, or deaf-blind at each of its three facilities: the California Schools for the Deaf in Fremont and Riverside and at the California School for the Blind in Fremont.

Residential and day school programs are offered to students from infancy to age 21 at both State Schools for the Deaf and from ages five through 21 at the California School for the Blind. The State special schools also offer assessment services and technical assistance. For more information about the State special schools, please visit the California Department of Education Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ss/ or ask for more information from the members of your child’s IEP team.