I wrote this reflection early in my college career, and it is reflected in the slightly more informal

approach I used when writing it. I still highly agree with much of what I said in this paper. Having more
experience with an inclusion classroom, I have grown to see the benefits of them. I have watched some
students flourish in the general education room, despite their own limitations. There is such a richness
that I have found in some in-class discussions that would not have existed if those students had not
been in the classroom. I had a student with Asperger’s syndrome who was not very high functioning.
This student did not always participate in discussion and did not have to according to his IEP. However,
when he would say something during class, it would often take the discussion in a different, more
complex direction. He brought up some of the best points I had heard throughout classroom discussion.
The writer of the article I reflected on took a negative view of inclusion classrooms, but I have
experienced so many benefits in having as many unique students as possible in the classroom. I think
that the inclusion of as many diverse students as possible, regardless of their specific needs, is of great
benefit to any classroom setting. I feel that we often get too hung up on the term “special needs.” Every
single student has needs. Through my experience, I have learned that meeting the needs of every
student as much as I possibly can has immense benefits to everyone. I couldn’t imagine not having that
student in my classroom.