Elento, a strong supporter of including special-needs youth in general-education classrooms, said shortly after enrolling her son at Heeia, she pulled him out.

Now, at 9, Jason attends a public charter school, Hawaii Technology Academy, where, like other students at the campus, he goes to classes three days a week and works his way through online lessons the rest of the time. Elento said the setup is a good fit for her son.

Advocates say stories like Elento’s illustrate how moving more special-education kids into general-education classrooms will not be easy — or cheap — for many schools, and it could require big changes for some.

Schools that already have model programs for inclusion say the shift took lots of planning, the cooperation of teachers and plenty of patience especially during the transition, as classes adjusted to the change.

IDEA does not require that states meet inclusion minimums, but does require that special-education students be placed in the “least restrictive environment” appropriate for their learning needs. For some youth, especially those who pose a harm to themselves or others, the least restrictive environment is a classroom separate from other kids.

What is touchy is determining how often youth with fewer needs should be pulled from classrooms. Some say tailored instruction for special-needs youth outside of general-education environments can be beneficial, taking away distractions and letting special-education students learn without becoming frustrated if they are far behind.

Others argue that special-education youth should be eased into general-education classrooms, depending on their strengths and weaknesses. Still others say “full inclusion” offers more rigorous teaching and that with the right teachers and training, it can work.

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