Least Restrictive Environment Process
Step 1 – Utilize all available resources
Teams utilize whatever resources are necessary to attempt to serve student in home school. Coordinators
should be contacted early in the process to help locate additional resources. An emphasis will be placed on
collecting and analyzing data in making decisions. Resources to be utilized at this level include:
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Consultation with coordinator
Project STAY
FBA/BIP or Ziggurat
CKCIE Autism Consultants and/or KISN Consultants
Ongoing data collection reviewed by team
Increased level/intensity of services
Step 2 – Consideration of change in educational environment (could include less restrictive to more
restrictive or vice versa in the case of a student transitioning from a low-incidence program back to their
home school)
Teams meet (w/o parents) to discuss advantages and disadvantages of current placement vs. more or less
restrictive placement. Home school (or current school) should send all information and data in advance in
order for the potential receiving school to review the data and formulate questions. Consideration should
end here if the potential harmful effects outweigh the benefits. Additional meetings should be considered if
more data is needed, such as an observation of the student.
Step 3 – Change in Placement
An IEP placement meeting is held with parents in attendance to discuss the options and make a formal
decision about placement.
Additional Considerations –
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In the case of a student who moves in with an IEP designating services in a self-contained program,
this process will need to be modified. The IEP team is required to provide “services comparable to
those described in the child’s IEP from the previous school district”. In most situations, a meeting
will need to be scheduled as soon as possible with the school with the low incidence program so that
services can begin. Occasionally, a parent or other team member may request that the student
receive services in their home school. In this case, the IEP team should meet and discuss this as a
possibility.
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Teams should discuss what type of data would warrant consideration of a move back to a less
restrictive environment. If reintegration is plausible, staff from the student’s home school and the low
incidence program are strongly encouraged to communicate regularly about student progress.