LRE is a key principle of IDEA.  In direct opposition to the past segregation and institutionalization of children with disabilities, IDEA insists that students with disabilities receive their education alongside their peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate.  Students should not be removed from the general education classroom unless learning cannot be achieved with the use of supplementary aids and services.

     Moving a child to a more restrictive environment must be an IEP Team decision based on the child's unique needs.  In Utah, some districts push hard to move students with disabilities into cluster classes (aka unit classes, aka self-contained classes) that may be housed in schools outside the family's neighborhood.  Other districts strongly resist placing students in these classes, even when students are struggling.  Neither approach is appropriate.  The decision must be based on the child's needs after adequate resources and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) have been devoted to maintaining the general education placement with typical peers.

     Too often schools claim, "A one-on-one (1:1) paraprofessional is the most restrictive environment."  This remark is based on outdated research and defies logic. The IEP Student Center believes that adding the services of a paraprofessional should always be considered and attempted before moving a child out of the general education setting to a cluster/unit/self-contained class, special school, residential treatment, or homebound placement.  All of those options separate children with disabilities from their typical peers.  Use of a paraprofessional does have downsides, but they pale in comparison to the complete removal of a child with disabilities from the general education setting.  

Research helps us avoid common misuse of paraprofessionals:
1.  PROBLEM: Paraprofessionals can be the least qualified staff working with the child.  ANSWERS: Provide significant training to paras; ensure the special education and general education classroom teachers continue to interact and take responsibility for the student; pay a living wage to find and retain qualified paras.
2.  PROBLEM: Proving paraprofessional support may prevent school-wide change needed to support all students with disabilities.  ANSWERS: You do not deny a child the support necessary as a means of leveraging change school-wide; take suggestions from paraprofessionals on how to improve supports for all students - they observe much and have good ideas; providing additional support for a student with considerable needs should allow for the classroom teacher to implement creative solutions for the whole class.
3. PROBLEM: Adding paraprofessional support may lead to the reduction of expectations for the child with disabilities.  ANSWERS: Train the para to help the child complete work - not complete the work for him/her; regular education and special education teachers should be providing challenging and interesting curriculum, do not rely on the para to "find something for the child to do;" focus on adapting the classroom assignments - rather than providing 100% modified curriculum.
4.  PROBLEM:  Paraprofessionals can interfere with peer relationships.  ANSWERS: The para can make sure the child is leaving the classroom as rarely as possible; the para should facilitate peer relationships not replace them ("Could we play 4-square with you?"); the para can prompt the child to engage in peer activities ("Come over and work with Tracy's group!), the para should encourage independence not reliance ("You know how to do this problem.  Show me how you solve #1."); use of a para must include strategies for carefully fading the involvement of the para over time.

     Districts must provide a continuum of placements.  The graphic below shows placements that are required to be offered to students with disabilities.