The definition of "autistic" has been expanded so far that large numbers of children who would have been considered normal 40 years ago, are now labled "autistic".
I suspect I might have been labeled "autistic" back them. I was very focused, did not develop good social skills early, got bored easily...
Maybe labeled Asberger's today.
“Autistic children should not be sent to a public school that is not equipped to handle them.”
I would drop the first word. Then the statement is true for all kids be they blind, deaf, etc. The school needs to determine which kids it can handle in a regular classroom and which it can’t. Then figure out how to handle the remainders. As marktwain noted, autistic includes a broad band of behavior. Think of labeling both blind kids and kids with glasses, blind.
As I side note, I think it would be better to split schools by sex. They are different enough that separation would be better for both.