In a special education self-contained class, students are only exposed to other students with disabilities. They are not given the opportunity to learn in an environment with their non-disabled peers for their academic subjects. It may help to try and ease certain students out of the self-contained program and mainstream them into the general education classroom for subjects that they could succeed at with the appropriate support in place. Many students also benefit from attending lunch, recess, art, gym and music with their non-disabled peers.
Whether it is a special education or general education self-contained classroom, if students are having difficulty with other students in the classroom or struggling to please the teacher or with the teacher's education style, the situation can be intensified due to lack of space. The students and the teachers are together all day long. There is little room for separation and conflicts that are not dealt with appropriately from the beginning can intensify as the school year progresses.
The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act or IDEA states that students with special needs are entitled to a free public education in the least restrictive environment. Sometimes parents of both disabled and non-disabled students are resistant to the special needs student mainstreaming into the general education classroom, and the student stays in a self-contained program long after the need for it has run out. It helps to have an open mind and to try new situations that your child may have a chance to thrive in. You can always go back if it doesn't work out for him.
Teachers in self-contained classrooms can often be more flexible when it comes to their teaching schedules. They can take longer with their math lesson one day and their science lessons the next. They must adhere to the curriculum guidelines set forth by their district, but they can be creative when it comes to how they teach the curriculum. Despite this flexibility, teachers in self-contained environments may become drained and isolated if they fail to interact with other teachers on a regular basis. It's important to reach out and keep communication open with your colleagues to prevent burnout.