children requiring special education and related services shall be the same as that for children in the regular education program."
The Friday early release was designed to allow staff members in Plainville's Developmental Program (the subsection of special education in which R. was enrolled) time to meet and discuss the programs of individual students. The early release was noted on R.'s June 2001 draft IEP,[11] and Maureen Schiffer wrote to Mrs. L. on July 31, 2001 that early release "was vital to [R.]'s individual program, as it requires intensive planning. This is not in violation of IDEA as this has been part of the Developmental Program since its inception." Administrative Record at Exh. B-55.
At the administrative hearing, Mrs. L. testified that it was her understanding that all special educationconcerns with using Dr. Morgan as R.'s outside consultant: she worried that Dr. Morgan was insufficiently available to consult with R., and that Dr. Morgan did not have sufficient experience with PECS, the communication system to be used exclusively with R. during the 2001-2002 school year. See id. In response to Mrs. L.'s first concern, Plainville agreed to increase Dr. Morgan's consulting time so that she would work exclusively with R. three hours per month. See Hearing Transcript, Sept. 19, 2001, at 18.
As to the second concern, Dr. Morgan testified that she had been trained in PECS and had developed and implemented PECS systems for other students. While Dr. Morgan testified that she had concerns about the ultimate success of a PECS communication system for a child as