Most nontraditional environments for disabled children include a large component of segregation. Children with learning disabilities who are unable to keep up with an average class of peers are often taken out of their classroom and sent to a special tutor or an entirely different class in order to learn the material. Mentally-challenged children typically spend their entire K through 12 education in a special education classroom. Segregation in these cases decreases the child's exposure to their peer group dramatically.
Placing disabled children in a nontraditional learning environment deprives them of exposure to their peer group. Children who are able to spend time around non-disabled children have the opportunity to learn appropriate behavior, language use and other social skills. Learning these social skills at a young age is integral in preparing a disabled child to function in the world around them upon reaching adulthood and the end of formal schooling.
Another disadvantage of nontraditional learning for disabled children is that teacher expectations are typically far lower. In a regular classroom setting, children with mild disabilities are pushed to keep up with their peer group. This pushing can help them reach their full potential as learners. Children are often more sheltered in nontraditional learning settings, with lower expectations and goals. For some students, nontraditional learning can actually prevent them from reaching their full learning potential.
Perhaps the greatest disadvantage of nontraditional learning for disabled children is separation from the "normal world." More often than not, disabled children want nothing more than to fit in with their peers. Placing them into a nontraditional learning environment confirms for them that they are different from everybody else, which can be psychologically damaging to children.