[SCalGal]

Los Angeles Unified School District insists on mainstreaming, whether the parents like it or not. They've got a consent decree that says they have to place the child in the "least restrictive environment" whenever possible. The "least restrictive environment" is a regular classroom, often with 40 other kids.

I think it's a lousy idea, for the most part. I'm ok with the kids who don't need a lot of extra help and aren't disruptive, but not the rest. The classrooms are too crowded now for the kids without adding additional disruptions.

[luckystarmom]

The "least restrictive environment" is the federal law.

That law can be abused. Some children should be mainstreamed and some should not.

There are not many options for special ed students. I have a daughter with cerebral palsy. She went to a special ed preschool for a few months and did horrible. She cried every day. She was a twin, and couldn't be with her twin. The special ed preschool also was trying to force her to talk, and she couldn't talk. She threw a tantrum at the school one day, and wouldn't come in from the playground. They left her outside with a janitor.

She never went back to the special ed preschool. We enrolled her in a regular private preschool. She was well-behaved, and we never had any problems. She is now in a public kindegarten doing well.

Sometimes the special ed classrooms are horrible environments for kids.

It should be up to the parents to figure out what is the best environment for their children.