Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is a requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for all children, including preschool children with disabilities. Because providing preschool classes is not a requirement for local education agencies, finding natural environments for preschool-aged children with disabilities to receive special education services can be a challenge for school districts.
The PLRE (Preschool Least Restrictive Environments/Settings) document from ESC Region 20 provides an overview of a variety of options for including preschool children. It includes a brief description of each environment, the steps to implementation and additional considerations that might need to be discussed. It is not intended to be a finite list; just a starting point to assist decision-makers as they work to develop quality inclusive programs for young children.
The PLRE document is available through the ESC Region 20 website at http://www.esc20.net/default.aspx?name=ci_se.PPCD.PreschoolLRE
There is also a The Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): Question & Answer Document available at http://www.esc20.net/users/0045/docs/AGC/LRE-QA.pdf
