Where Will My Child Go To School?

Your child's special education program will be completely developed before the IEP team decides where the program will be provided. The IEP team considers different classes or schools to determine where that program can best be delivered. The first place it will consider will be the general classroom in the neighborhood school your child would attend if he or she were not eligible for special education.

The law requires that student with disabilities be placed in situations that will give them opportunities to be with students who are not disabled. This is called placing the student in the "least restrictive environment." The least restrictive environment (LRE) is the general education class in the neighborhood school, unless the IEP team determines that that class cannot meet the student's needs.

The specific classroom chosen for your child will depend upon the amount and kind of special instruction or services your child needs. If your child will need only some instruction in special education classes, it may be possible for your child to stay in the general classroom most of the day, leaving it only for a short period of special instruction. In some instances, a special education teacher may also be able to give instruction in the general classroom.

For some children, placement in a special education class for most or all of the day is necessary. Students who receive most of their instruction in basic academic subjects in special education classes will still have opportunities to participate in other activities in school with general education students. These opportunities might include participation in elective subjects such as art or music, being part of a general homeroom, socializing in the lunchroom, and attending assemblies and other enrichment programs with general education students.

School districts in Pennsylvania must make available the following types of classes if the IEP team decides that a particular type of class is necessary. These classes are formed around the learning needs of students who are assigned to them:

• Learning support class, for students whose greatest need is help in academic areas such as reading and math
• Emotional support class, for students whose greatest need is social, emotional and behavioral help
• Life skills support class, for students whose greatest need is to learn skills that will allow them to live and work independent of their families
• Sensory support skills class, for students who require help in dealing with disabilities resulting from limited vision or hearing
• Speech and language support class, for students who have difficulty speaking and communicating
• Physical support class, for students who need programs that consider their physical disabilities
• Autistic support class, for students with autism
• Multiple disabilities support class, for students with more than one disability, the combination of which results in needs requiring many services and much support

Students with different disabilities may be placed together in one class if their learning needs are similar and they can all benefit from the same level and manner of instruction. The law also requires that special education students be placed in classes with students of the same age range. At the elementary level (grades K 6), a class cannot have children who vary in age by more than three years. At the secondary level (grades 7 12), an age range of no more than four years is allowed. The IEP team can make an exception for an individual student based on the student's needs, though it must be explained in writing in the IEP.