When determining where a student with an IEP will mainstreaming in special education, IEPs teams are required to start with the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Teams need to consider all placement options for each student with an IEP, and discuss those options with the goal of each student spending as much time in general education as possible.
Here is a list of the possible placements at any local public school. They are listed in order from the least restrictive environment to the most restrictive placement.
- Fully included in general education
- Fully included in general education with push-in special education support
- Fully included in general education with pull-out special education support
- Specialized academic instruction with mainstreaming (or inclusion) in regular education for any part of the school day.
- Specialized academic instruction where all instruction takes place within a self-contained classroom in your child’s school district.
There are other, more restrictive placements that take place outside of your neighborhood school.
Special education placement offers can include districts recommending a segregated classroom. This is known as Specialized Academic Instruction. These classrooms are typically divided into two groups, one for students whose support needs are mild to moderate, and another for students whose support needs are moderate to severe. Sometimes the only mainstreaming in special education for many of these students is at lunch or recess. Parents will go
through the IEP process, the team will brightly tell them “There will be mainstreaming in special education with their typically developing peers for 15% or 22%—or some other small percentage—of their day.” When asked about it, they will say “Oh, that’s lunch and recess.” We call this inclusion by air as we rarely find that there is any meaningful inclusion going on when a student spends the entire day with just one group of students and has little to no effective interaction with typically developing peers.
EVERY child has the right to be included to the extent possible with their typically developing peers. For almost all students, being with their typically developing peers helps all students – in terms of role models, higher expectations, presuming competence, teaching about neurodiversity, and building community, just to name a few.
Mainstreaming in special education leading to inclusion in regular education is something we strongly support, and we will work with you to develop a meaningful plan for your child.
For help at your child’s next IEP meeting, more information about our special education advocacy services, or for a FREE 20-minute consultation to see if we are a good fit for you, call or fill out our contact form.
As parents, we understand. As advocates, we can help.