Least Restrictive Placement

The term least restrictive placement refers to the concept of the least restrictive environment (LRE), a legal principle ensuring the social integration of people with disabilities. Social policies in the United States, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, require public entities to administer their programs in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of qualified individuals with disabilities to facilitate their positive relationships with nondisabled people in typical community settings. The focus of the LRE principle is not on the type of facility but rather on whether a placement can provide the necessary services an individual needs to have life experiences that most community members find desirable. Placements that might be appropriate for an individual receiving public health services range from institutional settings to noninstitutional residential settings, such as assisted living, home, and community-based settings. This entry is intended to clarify the LRE principle in making placement decisions in public health agencies, educational institutions, and human services.

From a legal perspective, institutionalizing a person with a disability who can benefit from living in the community, and who wishes to do so, constitutes discrimination, because removal to a separate setting severely limits the individual's ability to interact with family and friends, to work, and to live independently. The right of people with disabilities to receive services in the most integrated setting is not absolute, however. Least restrictive placement policies do not require measures that would fundamentally alter the nature of a public entity's programs, and costs may be considered in making that determination. In reviewing the fairness of placement decisions, courts consider not only the cost of providing care in integrated settings to individuals but also the range of services provided to others with disabilities and the state's obligation to offer those services in an equitable manner. Understanding the LRE principle, and applying it correctly, is especially important to family members, psychologists, and other professionals responsible for making special education placement decisions on behalf of students with disabilities.