What is the core principle of the Least Restrictive Environment?

• A. All students must be in general education regardless of supports
• B. Students with disabilities should not receive supports in general education
• C. Students with disabilities should be educated with peers who are not disabled to the maximum extent possible
• D. Students with disabilities must be educated in a separate school

Answer: (C)

Least Restrictive Environment means placing students with disabilities in the general education setting with their non-disabled peers to the greatest extent possible, and providing the supports and services they need to participate successfully. This principle guides decisions about where a student learns, aiming to include them in the same classroom and curriculum whenever feasible, while offering targeted supports such as accommodations, modifications, assistive technology, or specialized instruction as needed.

In practice, educators and families use a continuum of placements and supports, starting with full inclusion and moving to other options only if the student cannot progress in the general setting with appropriate supports. The goal is access to the general education curriculum, meaningful social interaction, and normalizing the school experience.

The other options don’t fit because they either require excluding supports that enable inclusion, deny supports in general education, or default to a more restrictive setting without considering the individual’s abilities and needs.