Long-term effectiveness of the Adolescent Learning Center: a challenge to the concept of least restrictive environment.

The long-term effectiveness of the Adolescent Learning Center, a model classroom for emotionally disturbed adolescents, is described. The classroom is located in a restricted environment away from the public school campuses. In this follow-up study, the social adaptation and perceived adjustment of students who have mainstreamed back into regular classes for more than one year were assessed. Results on a behavioral checklist, student attitude questionnaire, and parents' questionnaire indicated that gains in emotional adjustment continued to accrue significantly upon the students' return to the public school setting. Since the therapeutic environment of the Adolescent Learning Center prompted personal and behavioral changes that transferred effectively to the regular school setting, for these adolescents the "most appropriate environment" for correcting school adjustment problems was one that is highly restrictive.