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Special Education: IDEA

Least Restrictive Environment

Image of a combination whiteboard bulletin board. Title: Least Restrictive Environment (L R E). Picture of students in a classroom working.

Text reads: The L R E refers to the setting where a child with a disability can receive an appropriate education designed to meet his or her needs while still being educated with his or her nondisabled peers.

IDEA requires that children with disabilities be educated to the maximum extent possible with children who do not have disabilities. The least restrictive environment, or LRE, is unique for each child and is determined by the special education committee based on your child's individual needs.

 
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