In elementary school, students are usually sheltered in one classroom, with one teacher and 25 classmates. Although the teacher and many of the classmates change from year to year, the environment is generally static. New teachers are informed ahead of time that a student with a disability will be in class, and special arrangements are generally put in place before the student arrives for the first time in a new class. In a one-room setting, a teacher has the opportunity to spend more time with a disabled child, to understand the particular child's special needs and to offer assistance and encouragement. Accommodation isn't quite as simple in the faster-paced, mobile middle school environment, which is designed to demand more independence of students.
Students move from class to class, and from teacher to teacher.
Teachers lose the opportunity to work as closely with their students, and accommodating students who need it becomes a more difficult job. Many parents say that the hardest thing about having a child with a disability is having to continually fight for rights and services for their children. As students move into high school, the battle often gets harder. There's not as much individual attention to go around, and there's usually more competition for school funds and resources. There's also a great number of social issues that students and parents are faced with.