It is necessary to educate special needs children separately from other children. But it is not necessary, or a good thing, to keep them entirely segregated from the rest of the student population outside of class. In doing so, you limit their access to wider possibilities of friendships. It is also not good for the other students, who are missing valuable lessons about disabled people.
Keeping the special needs students out of the general body of students reinforces that they are different, both to them and to the other students. The more exposure other children have to special needs people the more they will understand them. This understanding is the key to eliminating the fear and ignorance that leads to teasing and other cruelties.
It also sends a message to the special needs students that they are too different to be accepted by the rest of society. They need to have a sense of belonging in the world at large in order to be productive members of society in whatever capacity this may take.
Whenever possible, special needs students should be accepted and encouraged to join in general assemblies, pep rallies and other school events. Other students need to be educated that someone who is different is still another person worthy of acceptance. Schools that miss these teaching opportunities are missing an important chance to improve the lives of their special needs students as well as the rest of the student body.
Usually, knowing one of these special children means loving them forever. This acceptance will lead to a lifetime of meaningful interactions with special needs people, enriching everyone’s life at the same time.