Socialization and LRE
As you have learned, the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (U.S. Department of Education, 2016a) requires students with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE) , and to the extent educational progress can be made in inclusive settings, the LRE means that education should occur with peers without disabilities. Decisions regarding the LRE should be determined individually for students with disabilities based on each student’s unique skills, interests, and educational goals as well as the resources available to support the student in various settings. This mandate was predicated on three principles:
1. that children with disabilities have a civil right to participate in the same activities and environments as students without disabilities,
2. that integration would result in improved attitudes of children without disabilities and general education teachers toward children with disabilities, and
3. that children with disabilities would benefit from exposure to peers without disabilities who model appropriate social, academic, play or leisure, and language skills.
The interpretation and implementation of LRE has evolved over the years from simply sending a child with disabilities to lunch or recess with typical-age peers to full-time placement of a child with disabilities in an age-appropriate general education class with a variety of support services. In addition, our understanding of the instructional procedures that are essential for children with disabilities to gain maximum benefit from integrated placements has grown tremendously. We now know, for example, that improving socialization outcomes for students with autism requires structured interventions directed both toward the child with autism and typically developing peers, along with carefully designed opportunities to interact in authentic contexts with peers. When program philosophies and practices emphasize socialization interventions and provide a wide array of opportunities for socialization, and when these practices are supported by effective intervention procedures, children and youth with autism can be expected to achieve improved social performance (Camargo et al., 2014; Chang & Locke, 2016; Kasari et al., 2016).