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Team Considerations
A team needs to consider all options on the Community Circle ofr LRE/NE Options for an individual child, beginning with the early childhood education setting(s) that would be provided for a child without a disability. A child’s IEP goals and objectives or Extended IFSP outcomes are central to the decision making process, and guide team members as they select the most appropriate setting for each child.
The determination of whether a setting is less or more restrictive for a particular child is based on how often a child is able to access, and be involved in, the local school systems early learning curriculum, and have meaningful interaction with his or her nondisabled peers. The more time a child with a disability receives his or her specialized instruction in Regular Early Childhood Programs designed for nondisabled preschoolers, the less restrictive the placement. Conversely, the more time a child with a disability is segregated from his or her nondisabled peers, the more restrictive the placement (MSDE, 2010).
Review a comprehensive FAQ from MSDE about the LRE decision making process for placement determination for young children with disabilities, age 3 years through Kindergarten.The team discussion should be guided by a variety of data sources about a child’s current performance and identified goals/outcomes. Rather than making the LRE/NE placement decisions solely on the basis of a single or limited data source(s), consider:
- Parental input
- Reports of formal assessments
- Assessor recommendations and observations
- Interviews with community partners
- Child’s work samples
- Information provided by key individuals familiar with a child.
Include an individual on the team who is experienced in teaching typically developing children of the same age when a child is below mandatory school age; otherwise, a regular educator must be included on an IEP team Review a child’s placement at least annually, relying on a variety of sources when considering a child’s current performance.
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The LRE/NE mandate requires teams to first consider community-based early childhood settings as the location where young children with disabilities will receive their special instruction and other services.Key questions for a team to discuss when considering LRE/NE options:
1. Where does an young child currently spend time each week?
- Solicit parental input about any early childhood setting(s) on the Community Circle of LRE/NE Options where a child currently spends time outside his or her home, especially family and center-based child care, Head Start, Judy Centers or private preschool programs.
- Ask family members what settings, as close as possible to their home, could also be considered.
2. What are a child’s educational and non-academic benefits of participating in a community-based vs. a special education early childhood setting?
- How could a child’s IEP goals/objectives or Extended IFSP outcomes be addressed in various early childhood settings?
- Consider how supplementary aids, services, program modifications and other supports help a child reach identified goals/outcomes and interact with nondisabled peers.
- Solicit observations from parents and other key adults about how any supports have helped a child participate successfully in a variety of settings e.g., neighborhood social events, playground, home.
3. Can a child receive the majority of his/her special education and related services in the early childhood setting(s) considered?
- Review evaluation data and the child’s present levels of academic achievement or functional performance, if there is a current IEP or IFSP.
