Maybe have special ed lawyer review the IEP. If you are in Los Angeles, Vanaman law firm is pretty good. You pay them a fee to review.

Results may vary from school to school, even year to year at the same school. This is true for both models.

It depends on how the school district handles special education. My son is in a small special needs class but gets to go to a typical classroom for different activities throughout the day with an aide. I think it's wonderful he gets to be around typical peers to work on social/emotional skills.

you can modify the IEP to allow your child to be in special education classes for certain things. my son was in SPED classes only for social skills. SPED classes can really be of some bene fit. kids will honestly pick up behaviors from ANY type of surrounding, but sometimes the benefits outweigh the risks.

My son has always been placed in small classes since age 3. He had 1:1 support starting in middle school for his general ed classes. Ultimately it all depends on what the IEP team recommends, your input as your child’s advocate/parent, and what you agree or disagree with. You know your child best. 😄