LRE (Least Restrictive Enviorment) vs Best Enviorment

Post Reply New Topic

Like most aspies I struggled through regular courses while frequently getting picked on and other things like that, and now that I am taking our schools Teaching Exceptional Learners class and am learning all about how they always try to put someone in the least restrictive enviorment avaible I am beginning to wonder if thats neccessarily right. With more and more information about autism coming out there seems to be more and more programs specifically for people with ASDs and while I haven't learned everything about the concept of LRE it doesnt seem like our feelings are involved to much in the decision process just as long as we are getting "acceptable" grades. So anyway Im just curious to know if any of you find this wrong and if you think you would have/would do better in some sort of non (full time anyway) gen ed arraignment.

_________________
"we never get respect ... never a fair trial
[swearing removed by lau] ... as long as we smile"
Im tired of smiling.

Vote for me in 2020

I'm not sure what the current practices in the USA are for people on the spectrum, but I know I did my best work and learned the most during the various independent studies I did through middle school and high school. I wasn't diagnosed at the time or on any sort of special education program, independent studies were just something I arranged under the radar with open minded teachers. They made for a very unrestricted environment, but also allowed for more one-on-one attention and conferences than I would have gotten otherwise. So for me they were the best of both worlds.

I didn't want to stand out in elementary school. I attending classes separately from everyone would have been discomforting for me (even if they were gifted education classes). I wasn't so self-conscious about the gifted class I was in for one year, but I was quite embarrassed to be in the reading program from first through fourth grades.

Yeah thats another bad thing... but I dont know if I could get always from NTs for a while it would have been nice, heck I would much reither be in a "center school" (I think thats what there called) but that would have been a way restrictive enviorment. And I dont think I could have been teesed much more then I was.

_________________
"we never get respect ... never a fair trial
[swearing removed by lau] ... as long as we smile"
Im tired of smiling.

Vote for me in 2020

I think LRE has its advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes a kid might want protection, sometimes just a shot at being "normal." The problem is nobody would ever be willing to ask a kid which they want, as the kid might make the "wrong choice."

hee.

Something I could talk about for hours....

I think it is a sign of LRE rules sucess that the question is being asked.

LRE came about because it was easier for the schools to take students who learned differently and dump them into one room. No learning was expected in this room...how could there be with Downs, Fragile X, Aspies, Auties, pysically disabled, EBDers, and LDers all in one room. Our own Ghosthunter, who is clearly highly intellignet, was dumped into a preschool with Downs children. There simply was no way for a teacher to reach all these groups so no group was adequatly addressed.

Parents and others decided there had to be a better way, a middle ground between mainstream with no accomidations and a babysitting service. LRE rules required schools to provide aides in the classroom, accomidations, and remediation before they consider a non-inclusive enviroment. It has been used by many family to force schools to think outside the box in how to provide services.

As is the case with many new ideas, we had to maybe go too far to see how far was far enough. We are now swinging to the idea of smaller, like grouped students. Enders picked up the term "Center Based Programs" because that is the name my district uses. My 7th grade son is in a CBP for the first time this year. This is a small center for Aspies and Auties within the mainstream school. Students can spend anywhere from 20 to 100% of the time in the CBP. His middle school actually has two CBP's. One for lower functioning and one for higher functioning.

I think LREs were an idea that had to be to pry the schools away from the dumping grounds. Now that that mindset is leaving, we can consider other ideas, like the CBP.

Two related thoughts...
...special ed law does not say the student is intitled to the *best* school situation, only an *apprioprate* one. Many a lawsuit has been lost becuase the school didn't want to pay for *best*. Peter Wright, a disabled disability lawyer says one should never ever say the *B* word when talking with schools. One should argue why the best sitation is the only approprate situation without coming right out with the word best.

I looked for info on my son's program but because of confidential rules, very little of it is freely available on the web. I'd be interested of others know where I can get more info on what other districts are doing.

BeeBee

hrmm,

In Rochester - The programs for those with Autism are done at one school for each level - Jefferson Elementary, Kellogg Middle, and Century High. The mainstreaming is done at those schools based on each childs needs and abilities. Kinda like a CBP. I have heard from other parents, the elementary and high school program is very good but not the middle school program. In fact, one parent of an LFA child is trying to get him into his home middle school because she realized that when he spent time with children who could speak, he himself started to try to speak.

As for aspies and those with PDD-NOS, they get services at either their home school, a school better equiped to deal with them, or at a choice school (I do not want to get into MN Choice school laws right now). That of course depends on if the school actually recognizes that the child has a disability (which is a huge issue in Rochester). Usually, the district listens to a legal professional more than a medical professional in that regard

In all, I am really disillusioned at Rochester's autism programs. I thought they were better that what they truly are.