LRE

[Guest guest]

I have a question regarding LRE. I am wondering if that pertains to the least

restrictive environment in the district or in the area or in general like if

they don't have one they have to create one.

I am wondering because as of now I think the changes being made are good since

has a hard time transitioning, but in a year or so I don't want him in this

situation. They have two classes for children with speech delays (totally

different from hearing impairments) the teachers don't sign nor do the children,

the other class is for severely delayed children where most of the kids can't

even sit up on their own. Now I don't have a problem with severely delayed

children, but I have a problem with the fact that is not able to socialize

with these kids and he is not severely delayed except in his understanding of

speech and language and obviously in speaking as well.

So when the time comes for a fight I am going to fight them to send him out of

district since they don't have appropriate placement for a child like my son.

They usually send them to the school for the deaf and blind but he doesn't

qualify for that. They require him to have a bilateral hearing loss of 30 dB or

more on at least 2 tests. It really sucks because the rule that they won't go

by only one test was put there to protect the child not use it against them. So

they are saying that even though he shows a loss on his ABR and inconsistancies

on his audiogram and OAE's and he behaviorally acts like a HI child he doesn't

qualify. That is rediculous. Anyway the school district doesn't have any

classes available for children like my son. I am wondering what the LRE

pertains to is it in district in area or what? I want to eventually get a

waiver to go out of district to a school that specializes in children with all

sorts of communication issues including hearing impairments and auditory

processing issues. I am getting ready now because I know they are going to

fight me on this.

As I said I am not ready to do this now because at this point they are going to

keep him in the severe delay class and transfer him to the class with speech

delayed kids with an aid who signs and demonstrates what he is supposed to be

doing. This will ease the transition from the severe delay class into one of a

class with basically normally developing children but is not the ideal placement

for him in the long run and is very restrictive to him since he can't socialize

still with the other children due to his lack of communication skills.