by Melinda Clayton

Created on: November 19, 2010   Last Updated: November 21, 2010

For many parents, the words "special education" conjure up visions of self-contained classrooms that keep children with special needs segregated from the general school population.  For this reason, many parents are reluctant to accept the services needed in order for their child to be most successful in a public school environment. 

Luckily, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was amended in 2004 in order to address concerns regarding the placement of children with disabilities. 

Specifically, the amendments refocused priority on meeting the individual needs of each child in the least restrictive environment (LRE) possible.  In order to meet individual student needs, special education services are now offered along a continuum consisting of nine levels of services, structured from least restrictive to most restrictive. 

The first level is composed of those students who are incorporated into the general education program with no special services or modifications.  In such cases, the teacher and the parents may work closely together to ensure the child's needs are adequately met without specialized intervention.

The second level is made up of students who are in general education classrooms but receive support from some other professional, such as a consultant teacher, an instructional aide, a school psychologist, etc.  This level incorporates the largest number of students receiving special education services. 

The third level consists of students who are served in general education classrooms but receive outside itinerant services at some point during the day.  These itinerant services may include speech, physical, or occupational therapy.  Similarly, the fourth level is composed of students who attend general education classrooms but attend resource services at some point during the day.  For example, a child with a reading disability may participate in a reading resource class rather than the classroom curricula shared by the other students.

The fifth level is made up of students who spend part of the day in a general education classroom, and part of the day in a special education classroom.  This may be organized in any number of ways, from spending lunch and recess with the general education classroom, to spending half a day in each.

The sixth level is comprised of students who are segregated into a self-contained special education classroom.  Although this is the level many parents are most worried about, thanks to the array of integrated services mandated under the IDEA, this level actually incorporates a very small number of students with special needs. 

The seventh level consists of students who, due to the severity of the disability, are homebound, and the eighth level is made up of students who are in the hospital due to physical needs.  Finally, the ninth level on the continuum is comprised of those students whose disabilities are so severe that they require placement into a residential treatment facility and must receive educational services there.

When a child is identified as in need of special education services, a number of assessments will be completed in order to determine the most appropriate placement for the child.  The goal of the professionals involved will always be to meet the individual needs of the student in the least restrictive environment possible, enabling the child to receive needed supports while also ensuring the child will be integrated into the general education population to the greatest extent possible. 

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