I don't know how it works in other states, but at my school, which has a high number of ASD kids, ID, as well as having DS children in the past, has SSO's (aides) with special needs kids for around 4 hours per day every day, including lunch time. It varies on how much funding the child is receiving and how the school wish to allocate that funding with the SSO.

Some schools can use one staff member for 2 children for.eg and have that staff member rotate through a few children and can be there throughout the day. At our school most SSO's finish after lunch so the students don't have an aide for afternoon classes (a few that need it do). In Victoria the funding process is a 4-5 stage process and takes a lot of assessment, writing of reports and diagnosis to get anywhere.

Maybe it is the schools I have worked at, or the nature of primary schools being younger kids, as well as sharing a grade all day every day but we rarely see bullying of SN kids - doesn't mean it doesn't happen and kids that tease and bully tend to do it to lots of kids not just SN kids ITMS. I do wonder how some will go at high school Lu - we have one boy with ASD in grade 6 and going to mainstream high school and he will not cope. I can say that categorically. His parents want him to go to a mainstream high school, but he will really struggle. As with many kids with ASD change in routine absolutely throws him for a six so Im not sure how the funding works as now we have an aide to follow him when he takes off from not coping which is a number of times a week.

I guess what I am saying, is that from a teachers perspective is that inclusion can work wonderfully well and is the ultimate aim regardless of the disability but there are obviously exceptions in all cases and even within the school I am teaching at - having had verbal abuse, physical abuse, wooden mallets thrown at me as well as the disruption to other students and class time in general - at times it is a really fine line. (and yes this can all happen with non SN students but in my time at my current school, all the things i have mentioned have been from SN kids).

Meow -
but there is so much going on with the tone of your post.......doubly find it offensive that my child could be discussed as the cute school pet that's nice to have around- he offers value in his own right that is not based upon his ability.
I really feel that you are reading a lot into the "tone" - I think it's been said time and again on BB, that tone is something that will vary from one reader to another. You are picking up on something that many others aren't and can see that Lulu is saying what a great job the school is doing at integrating SN kids as well as wondering what will happen in the future, which is a real worry considering so many schools have bullying issues.