“Rockin’ Around the L.R.E.”

When we hear the letters L.R.E. in the special education field, we know that they stand for “Least Restrictive Environment”. So what does that really mean? An official definition states that to the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities are to be educated with students who are not disabled. To explain it in another way, we could change the words to “Living Real Opportunities”.

In the history of special education, there are many examples of learners completing activities in separate settings that had no real purpose or practical function in least restrictive environments. Things were more geared towards repetitive skills with fewer concepts being taught. Concept development is taught most effectively to learners with deafblindness when they are provided with active participation in the L.R.E.  All students deserve to learn within real-world experiences with their non-disabled peers to become successful to the best of their abilities.

It’s so exciting when we hear of situations where learners with deafblindness are included in general education activities. It should be the goal as much as possible for these students to be involved in their environment. The beginning of their active involvement could be based on their interest areas, such as the arts, music, physical education, etc. Some students may display interest in other general education academic areas. We must recognize and build on their personal preferences.

We have learned of a great example of an inclusive event that occurred last week. Kim and Mike Lane, parents of Ryan were very happy to share the good news about his participation in the Porter Ridge Middle School Christmas Chorus concert in North Carolina.  Mrs. Lane shared that Ryan is non-verbal and uses sign language and gestures to communicate.  He is considered deaf and uses a tracheotomy to breathe.  These obstacles did not hinder him or his team from participating in the concert last week. This is a wonderful example of inclusion at its best and his parents were thankful for the opportunity and the support that was provided to Ryan so that he could be included in this exciting night. Ryan was ‘rockin’ around the L.R.E.!

As we move into the new year, we should all be cognizant of the importance of living real opportunities as much as possible for learners with deafblindness. We thank the Lane family for sharing their good news!

If you have examples of students with deafblindness included in general activities at school, we would love to share your experiences. Please contact us or share in the comments section below.

Julie Brickhouse, M.Ed.,NBCT, East Carolina University DeafBlind Project Teacher Support Program, Technical Assistance Consultant