In order for my child to receive special education, must he or she be instructed in a special education classroom?

No. Although special education is often thought of as something that occurs only in a special education classroom, special education is a level of service and not a location. Public school districts are required to maintain a “continuum of placement options” where special education services may be provided to eligible students based upon their individual needs. These placement options range from the regular education classroom to full-time special education classrooms outside of the school district. More importantly, the IDEA mandates that students with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment (often referred to as LRE) to the maximum extent appropriate, requiring school districts to educate students with disabilities with non-disabled peers. In fact, Pennsylvania case law requires school districts to provide students with disabilities the full array supplementary aids and supports in the regular education environment (or at the very least, be able to demonstrate that the student cannot be successfully included in the regular education environment with supplementary aids and supports) prior to recommending a more restrictive placement on the continuum. It is also important to remember that determining the success of a student with disabilities in the regular education environment is based upon his or her own ability levels and not what would be expected of a non-disabled peer in the same class.

This Q&A was found on Special Education Lawyers in Pennsylvania - Connolly, Jacobson & John, LLP : http://www.cjjedlaw.com/modules/smartfaq/faq.php?faqid=5