Running head: PROGRAM REFLECTION

Program Reflection Part 3

Victoria Ramirez

Fresno Pacific University

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The feeling one gets when they are not expected to achieve a goal or succeed at a certain

skill or task can be a daunting one. It’s a feeling that can hinder a dream or even crush a soul. No

one ever wants to be excluded, left behind and/or given up on. No one wants to be made to feel

that they are completely different from their peers, so different that they are not given the same

opportunities, choices or expectations. No one wants to feel this way and that is exactly why

accommodation or modification produces great benefits; it closes the gap between these feelings.

It allows children to have the same or at least a very similar learning experience regardless of

their abilities or disabilities and the benefits are numerous not only for children with disabilities

but for children without disabilities, as well.

Accommodation provides many social advantages for disabled children. This form of

inclusion allows children with disabilities to be socially integrated with children without

disabilities, opening up many opportunities for new friendships to be developed. This is one of

the great benefits of accommodation because it opens up the door to relationships and friendships

that otherwise could not be formed. Also peers can act as role models for children with

disabilities, exhibiting and presenting social skills that can help them throughout life. Therefore

these relationships and social interactions are significant experiences that will not only benefit

children with disabilities during their school careers but could also help them grow up into

socially equipped adults.

These social interactions are not only beneficial for children with disabilities but they are

also great experiences for non-disabled children, as well. When the classroom is filled with a

diverse student population children learn to appreciate differences and similarities. Therefore,

inclusion helps close that gap between “special” needs and normality and produces a unity

amongst students, in which everyone is included and appreciated regardless of ability and/or

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disability. Non-disabled students that experience inclusion experience diversity and this helps

them learn a respect for all individuals, which is an important life lesson since our society is

made up of such a diverse group of individuals.

Students with disabilities also benefit academically in a learning environment that

incorporates accommodation and modification into the curriculum. This is probably the most

astounding benefit of accommodation because one may assume that children with disabilities

would fall behind greatly when integrated with non-disabled children. But actually, in a well-

designed inclusion environment teachers use accommodation strategies in order to help children

with disabilities succeed academically (Perles, 2012). Therefore, these students experience

higher expectations and greater opportunities for success. In addition to the higher expectations

and the greater learning opportunities given to children experiencing accommodation, these

children with disabilities are also exposed to a greater amount of peer learning experiences,

which allows them to interact with their non-disabled classmates that could possibly be academic

role models.

Students without disabilities may also benefit academically from an inclusive learning

environment because it encourages the mastery of skills and activities by practicing and teaching

others, therefore providing them with greater opportunities to participate in peer teaching and

learning experiences.

Some other benefits that children with disabilities may experience from inclusion include

the following: increased achievements of IEP goals, increased skill acquisition and

generalization, increased parent participation and an increase in school and staff collaborations.

All of these benefits are significant to a child’s learning experience, however I believe the most

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important benefit of accommodation is that it creates an inclusive environment that welcomes

and appreciates individuality, giving each child an equal opportunity for success.

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Resources

Perles, K. (2012). Inclusion for special education: advantages and benefits. Bright Hub

Education, Retrieved from http://www.brighthubeducation.com/special-ed-inclusion-

strategies/66128-advantages-and-benefits-of-inclusion/