The thing with ASD children is they tend to make great improvements and then regress. I want my child in as much Gen Ed classroom times as I can get but I know that if you go to fast and to far you can set your child behind. The other thing is that if you take youyr child out of the assisted classes it is going to be hard to get them back in if the school thinks they can get away with it because they think your child has progressed past it.

I would have my child in as much Gen Ed as they can take while still improving, but if they regress put them back the way they were. You can just ask them to include your child in a little more of Gen Ed and watch how he does. You will then know if he can handle it.

My son started school in the general ed setting and after much fighting we got him placed in the special education setting. He was very well behaved in the gen. ed setting but often withdrew from the group. Once we got him services he was 100% in the special ed classroom and again we found ourselves fighting for him. We knew he could do at least non academics in the general classroom. We finally won. After a year it became evident that he needed more time in the general ed setting so his classes aide began bringing him into general ed for short academic times. They gradually increased his time until he began to stress and now he spends about 80% of his day in general education. They were up to 90% but his stress became too high so they backed it off. You need to have them try to gradually increase his time in general ed and pay close attention to his stress levels. Find the time that is right for him and then try to back off support and see if he can continue without support.

I would agree with CBP. Our son has just decided on his own this month that he wants to go to a mainstream classroom. He spends about 70% of his time in mainstream now. When he acts out in his "behavior support classroom" (Special Ed) they send him to mainstream and he straightens right up. He is making great strides forward. He loves it. He is 7 almost 8 and ASD. He transitioned himself as the teacher and we thought it would be another year before he'd even try to go to a mainstream class, but he asked one day out of the blue. Follow your child's lead. If he is growing and happy in Gen-Ed, then support that. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Do not re-evaluate your son's needs based on another's off-handed comments. Re-evaluate when your son needs it.
Having a child or even a few ASD children does not make one an expert on all ASD children. What works for hers might not work for yours for many factors are involved, not just how much Gen Ed vs special Ed they get...the whole environment matters. The teachers involved, other kids, what you feel, how your son copes, etc.
if he is showing signs of boredom, regression, or something else has changed then re-evaluate. But you said he has seen much growth so I would guess this arrangement is working *for him*.

When people suggest that my son *should* start school (we homeschool because it works *for him*) I just say: "Thanks, I appreciate your input and will think about your suggestions.". If I know them well enough, I'll just be honest and say "He's just not the school-type."

As long as your child is improving I would not change anything. If you see signs of anything which could signal boredom I would re visit it. I think it depends on the age of the child too. If your child is in upper elementary/middle/senior high then more mainstream is better for the socialization and educational experience but then again, it depends if you have a good school. My son has had good teachers and some really bad ones. But if they are high functioning then they should learn to handle those situations as you do in the real world (bad/good bosses/companies)Just make sure you get as much accommodations as possible in the IEPs and not be afraid to call up a meeting to revise it as much as you need in a year. But your child is getting some mainstream so I would not listen to one person's opinion but rather your child's thoughts on the issue and the current teacher that has the most knowledge and trust in your child's education.