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I have seen children in what could best be categorized as a persistent vegetative state, being mainstreamed into regular classrooms with a paid aide doing the school work for them. I'm sorry some of these kids aren't going to benefit no matter what type of program is provided.

I have seen children in what could best be categorized as a persistent vegetative state, being mainstreamed

That was where we were heading when I worked in the school system in California in the late 70s. It never did make sense to me to "mainstream" most of our kids. In the special schools they had a whole team of specialists - PT, OT, speech, special ed teachers, etc. etc. ad infinitum plus equipment that couldn't be transported easily from school to school in the trunk of the therapist's car. But the feel-good liberals, so bent on what "felt" right rather than what worked insisted on mainstreaming.

Parents continued to demand cadillac services from travelling therapists and it just isn't possible. And if the kid isn't walking it must be the therapist's fault, right? Never mind they can't even hold their head up for 5 seconds, we were supposed to teach them to walk.

/rant

My wife is a special ed teacher and is responsible for teaching some autistic children. That is a very difficult and demanding job.

Mainstreaming is simply not for all special ed children. It does work for some. My wife has a student who is old enough for 6th grade but is mainstreamed into 2nd grade where he is doing very well.

For some of the children, even special ed is above them.

Who knows what we should do with those children. Do we warehouse them, or try to help them? It is not an easy question to answer.

Unfortunately, the "educators" in charge of these things are usually folks who are high in college indoctrination and low in actual teaching experience. I think many, if not most, of the administrators do not have a clue what they are doing nor what should be done.

In addition, there are many parents who make such unreasonable demands on the schools that it is impossible to satisfy them. Many of the parents have totally unreasonable expectations of their children and of the schools.

There are no easy solutions or answers. I do believe that there are many more children in that situation today because of fetal alcohol problems as well as being crack babies etc. It is also true that schools do a better job of identifying some children who need special help who would not have gotten that help in years past.