Prior to IDEA? I don’t know as I my District was formed back then (it is a five town district). I guess I would have to look into the archives that date back to the Nixon Administration to get those figures for you.... or not.
Of course the States and Federal govenment just institutionalized these students then — the nostalgia of which probably brings tears to your eyes. We should get back to the good old days of reading, writing and institutions.......
I really need to proof read before posting — yikes!
Those who study genius study Autistics. While not all Autistics are savants, all savants are Autistic.
Sitting next to an Autistic ,who is brilliant in Math, may not hurt your kid. It might even help.
Some of these posters would rather their kids sit next to a teenage drug dealer than a high functioning Autistic. Some of this may be related to the fact that people do not want someone they consider to be retarded to perform as well as if not better than their own spawn. Some people are too concerned with appearances for their own good.