Your e-mails were split between inclusion and special schools
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Two decades ago, most children in mainstream schools would never have encountered a child with special needs.
Today, the trend in many areas is to integrate children with physical and learning difficulties into mainstream schools for as long as possible.
Many so-called "special" schools were closed down in the 1980s, as mainstream schools were encouraged to be more inclusive.
The idea is that special needs children benefit from being included - and so do their classmates.
But, has the policy gone too far? That's what a report today from the National Union of Teachers is expected to say.
This morning on Breakfast:
We debated whether the education system short-changes special needs children, their teachers and classmates.
We heard from one mum whose autistic son goes to a mainstream school.
And we talked to head-teacher William Atkinson - and to Amanda Batten, of the National Autistic Society,
The NUT's report is expected to highlight a postcode lottery among special needs children, in which provision varies greatly from one local council to another.
It also highlights fears that teachers are being taken away from their core work, to deal with children's special needs.
In the experience of the National Autistic Society, opinion among parents of autistic children was fairly evenly divided.
Around one third wanted their children integrated into mainstream schools, one third wanted special schools and the remaining third wanted a mix of the two
We asked for your stories - and your views were also split evenly between inclusion and special schools
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