"Many staff members are not adequately trained to handle severe behavior problems."

Pardon me for being too relevant, but have fellow students been trained to handle severe behavior problems?

In my opinion this is a case of "asking the wrong question".
The question isn't "Should developmentally disabled students be placed in government run schools?"  The real question is "Should STUDENTS be placed in government run schools?" 

Since hiring the government to educate children is somewhat akin to hiring the mafia to teach children how to manage their money I'd say the answer to both questions is NO.

If the American educational system was privatized this would not be an issue.  Each individual school would have it's own rules about whether they could handle developmentally challenged students.

Freedom of choice is a wonderful thing!
Unfortunately we don't have much of it left anymore.
*sigh*

Well said curlilox.  I can tell you that as a facilitator, it is extremely difficult to manage a group of students when one or even two have cognitive or emotional disabilities.

It distracts from the environment of teaching, and is a major stressful experience for the teacher who often may be uneducated? as to how to manage such behavior, but I also believe that mainstreaming is not appropriate in ALL cases.

I personally have had students who have everything from OCD, Anorexia, Bulimia, Orthrexia, Depression, Aspergers, ADD/ADHD, undiagnosed dyslexia, and who are also on major meds for Seizure Disorder.  Let me just say, it was extremely difficult.

I have had chairs thrown at me, threatening calls and geisures, passive aggressive comments, and psych control games of manipulation...

It does the student no service, nor does it benefit the environment in all cases to have the focus on child 'rights' against the benefit to the group and the environment.

Each person is individual. Each situation is individual. I, too, can see how these things could happen in the school environment.  The issue is at the need for more monitoring, more staff, more specialists to educate, and a
comprehensive Restraint Policy.  We have them in Long term care and in hospitals, why not in schools?  If an individual is monitored and displays or causes harm, putting themselves and others at danger, they must be removed and cared for and educated in the manner that is more appropriate for them.

Blessings to all.
Sweet Moksha Bliss (formerly 'samsara')

Thirty years ago, I was an instructor for severely-profoundly physically and mentally impaired children.  A facility was built for us and the children lived there as well as went to school there.  Not long after I "retired" to have my family, the state mandated that these children had to be mainstreamed into the public school setting.  Most were in wheelchairs, many had the learning capacity that was less than a pre-born baby.  Most could not understand or follow instructions. Most all had weakened immune systems. These poor kids were forced to face the elements daily of being bussed to the public school for their "education".  What a burden on the children and what a burden on the staff!  It takes a special person gifted with the ability to work with special needs children for teaching to be successful.  Otherwise, the things mentioned in the article tend to happen.  Being a person who easily suffered "burn out syndrome" from working with these children, and having witnessed abuse from an instructor who was at his wit's end with a child who was impossible to work ( you have to experience it to understand), I can see how these things can happen in the school setting. The teachers didn't know what else to do!
I believe that instead of focusing so much on the child's "rights", I believe we need to focus more on what is most beneficial for their development.  Mainstreaming them in many instances is a disaster.