Nancy: I know a student with ASD and ID who is in elementary school and has been participating in part-time special education and inclusionary settings throughout his schooling. He requires modified and alternate curriculum to meet his learning needs. He performs much better during his small group instruction time and when he is in the gen ed classroom, he becomes upset, or completes minimal amounts of work. If he had more time in the special education setting with full access to all of the alternate curriculum, it is believed he could make more progress. It is being proposed that he transition his placement to a self-contained classroom with access to gen ed time during specialty subjects to encourage typical peer interaction. I know there is a lot of negativity toward self-contained classrooms, but they are there for a purpose. My question is– when is it appropriate for a student to be placed in a self-contained class?
It depends very much on the individual child. Please note that sometimes a trial of gen ed inclusion doesn’t appear to work well, but more support and a change in the teacher’s approach to a more universal design can sometimes turn things around. Thus, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to your question.
Think long term. Also, think what does “self contained” look like in your school district. Self contained in some could include severe behaviors transitioning in and out of that classroom. Look carefully at what the school district has to offer. Think long term in terms of his needs into high school, transition planning, etc.