* The specific disability or disabilities served: Classes focusing on a single, less prevalent disability might be smaller than those serving students with a wider range of needs.
* The severity of the disabilities: Students with more significant needs often require smaller class sizes to receive adequate support.
* The resources available to the school: Schools with more funding and staffing can often offer smaller class sizes.
* State and local regulations: Many states and districts have regulations setting maximum class sizes for special education, but these vary widely.
Therefore, there's no single answer to how many students are in a special education class. You could see classes with as few as 3 students or as many as 12, though classes outside of this range are less common. The ideal size depends heavily on the factors listed above.