josie

I think that's probably the most beneficial aspect of having kids with disabilities (of any sort) mixing with those who don't, in school. I think it can be a tremendous opportunity for kids who otherwise would have no exposure, to gain knowledge of and empathy for those who are faced with physical or mental challenges- because noone ever knows what life might hold in store. I'm sure Brewmaniac never pictured himself in a wheelchair as he grew up, and his situation just reinforces the message that it can happen to any one of us at any time. So it's good to have some understanding of what it might mean in a life.

Unfortunately, I don't think the kids with special needs (especially learning disabilities that affect their mental and intellectual functioning) are served as well educationally as they should be in mainstreamed settings. If they're in a regular classroom, the teacher often resents their presence, not least because they haven't been adequately trained to work with these students. And socially - I think it can be very, very lonely and difficult. It's very rarely the utopia we would like to hope for - that the person who is different in any way is just loved and accepted as one of the gang. Hell - kids are ostracized for having too much acne or a bad haircut in highschool- get the picture?
If I had a child with special needs and I could afford it, I'd send them to a specialized school with staff and faculty who are trained to meet their specific needs and a student body that understood (personally) what they were dealing with and knew what it meant to be who they were. I think educationally and socially, that would be the kinder choice.

What about you Manorfire? Do you see any benefit to mainstreaming that you may have missed out on?