Vague or Generalized Statements Are Improper When Documenting the Need for a More Restrictive Environment

Julie Weatherly featured an article in a journal titled In Case, Volume 48, Numbers 4-6; and in Volume 49, Numbers 1-2. The title of the article is Avoiding Legal Disputes in Special Education: 21 Training Points for Administrators. According to Weatherly, IEP teams need to be careful when making decisions about moving students to more restrictive educational environments. "Just as improper consideration of the continuum of alternative placements can constitute a denial of FAPE, vague or general statements may not be sufficient to support a recommendation for a more restrictive setting. For instance, documentation that indicates 'a separate school was chosen because the parent requested it' or 'the student's needs are too severe to be met outside of special school' are vague and generalized and do not justify removal from the regular education classroom based upon the individual needs of the particular student." She adds that simply making a statement that the special education classroom "is the best fit" doesn't clearly explicate the need for removal from the regular education classroom.