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The least dangerous assumption is a decision educators and professionals should make when there is no data available about a student's level of functioning. This decision places students in the best possible outcomes for living independently.

In my planning, if I run into inconclusive data about a student's level of ability, I will plan to teach the student at the appropriate age level, and if the assumption is dangerous, the lesson has to be reassessed and better tailored to the student after I collect data on their ability level.

In my teaching, I will always assume that my students are capable and able to learn/perform until I observe otherwise. For example, in my student teaching, I encountered students who I assumed were not able to perform a task, and they were able to do that task and more! This is an example of why the least dangerous assumption is crucial while instructing.

In my assessments, I will work diligently to make sure the assessments I administer are fair and accessible to my students. With that being said, I may have to make assumptions that may not be true to avoid having a dangerous effect on the student's ability to live independently. This means administering an assessment that is too difficult for the student and evaluating after the assessment how to make it simpler to understand.

Overall, teaching is about learning and reflection. You may not get it right the first time, but it is important to assume that the students can do all activities until you are proven otherwise.

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In my future special education classroom, I plan to apply the principle of the least dangerous assumption as a guiding mindset when designing and teaching an adapted curriculum. This means I will always presume competence in my students rather than limiting opportunities based on assumptions about their abilities. If I assume a student can learn and provide them with meaningful instruction, the outcome is positive whether they master the skill right away or not. But if I assume they cannot learn and hold them back, I risk denying them the chance to grow and succeed.

For me, this translates into ensuring students always have access to the general curriculum, even if it requires significant adaptations or creative approaches. Instead of oversimplifying content, I’ll focus on making it accessible through visuals, AAC, hands-on activities, and multiple ways to participate. This mindset encourages me to hold high expectations while providing the right supports, so students have every opportunity to show what they know.

It also serves as a check on my own thinking. It can be tempting to assume certain material is “too hard” for a student, but applying the least dangerous assumption pushes me to reframe that perspective: What if the student can learn this, but I haven’t found the right strategy yet? That question keeps me focused on problem-solving, creativity, and persistence.

In the end, the least dangerous assumption helps me keep a good balance between challenging my students and making sure lessons are accessible. By choosing to believe in their potential, I can build a classroom that feels respectful, welcoming, and focused on helping everyone grow.

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Katie Klocke - Least Dangerous Assumption

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Katie Klocke - Least Dangerous Assumption

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After learning about the Least Dangerous Assumption, I know I want to carry this mindset into everything I do as a teacher. For me, it means starting with the belief that every student is capable of learning and contributing, even if they show it in different ways. When I’m planning, I’ll keep grade-level curriculum as the starting point and then figure out what supports or accommodations each student needs to take part, instead of assuming the work is too hard for them.

In my teaching, I want to make sure students feel included and valued. That means giving them chances to participate alongside their peers, finding creative ways to help them communicate, and celebrating even small steps as real progress. I’ll also remind myself not to let labels or test scores limit my expectations, because those don’t always tell the whole story of what a student can do.

When it comes to assessments, I’ll try to give students multiple ways to show what they know, whether that’s through pictures, technology, gestures, or other methods. I don’t want difficulty with traditional tasks to be mistaken for a lack of ability.

Overall, carrying the Least Dangerous Assumption into my work helps me focus on creating opportunities, not limits. It’s a reminder that if I presume competence, I’m giving students the chance to rise to the occasion, and if I’m wrong, at least I haven’t closed the door on their potential.

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After reading the articles on Least Dangerous Assumption, I will carry this information by presuming my students can learn what is taught until proven otherwise. This means I will base what I plan, teach, and assess on the assumption that my students are able in every sense.

In my planning, I will ensure my lessons are engaging and accessible.

In my teaching, I will provide as much support as needed. I will use strategies tailored to each student to maximize success.

In my assessments, I will provide appropriate accommodations. I will make sure each student is able to participate using their preferred method.

I will use the least dangerous assumption to ensure that every student has a fair opportunity to show what they have learned.

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In learning about LDA, a concept I hadn't heard of before, a few things came to mind: LRE, standards-aligned goals and assessments, and can't/yet. The least restrictive environment means maximizing the time a student with disabilities spends along-side general education peers. To me, this goes hand-in-hand with the least dangerous assumption of assuming competency. If we assume students are able to learn the general education curriculum, supports and accommodations will be put in place to help make that happen and also to keep students with disabilities with their general education peers for as long as possible. I will use this information to work with teachers in my building to implement necessary accommodations and even modify assignments so students can access and learn the general education curriculum. I will also utilize general education assessments to understand what specific standard my students need support in. Next, I will ensure that my student's goals are aligned with grade-level standards with the goal of closing the gap and moving them toward that knowledge. I will make sure goals are specific, attainable, and appropriately challenging. Lastly, I will plan and teach, not with the mindset that my students can't and won't be able to learn the information, but instead with the assumption that my students can't "yet." This is also important when thinking about EOG testing, since the mindset is often that students with IEPs won't pass the assessments. Instead, I will strive to put in place appropriate and intensive instruction, accommodations, and supports to help them pass all assessments.

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In my planning I plan to make sure I include all students in lessons and think of ways they could each participate no matter their ability level. In my teaching I need to constantly remind myself how much I set the tone for the lesson. My attitude and expectations truly do play a big role in the learning environment and can make or break the lesson that day. While teaching I also need to give students multiple ways to stay involved whether that be different ways of communication, fun games throughout the lesson, or just interacting with peers. For assessments I will continue to measure the student on their specific growth. Not every student shows their learning on paper so I will need to start implementing data collections like observations, participation, and communication devices.

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Reading about the Least Dangerous Assumption really shifted how I think about planning and teaching. Looking towards a career in special education, specifically with students who have more severe needs, it is vital that I make sure I’m always assuming competence especially when the data isn’t conclusive or when a student’s communication style or ability makes it hard to know what they understand. Instead of relying on test scores or labels, I will focus on creating opportunities for students to show what they know in different ways. This could look like building lessons that include visual supports, peer modeling, and real-world materials, and also making sure students are learning in inclusive settings whenever possible (LRE). If I’m wrong in assuming a student can learn something, the worst that happens is I adjust the instruction. But if I assume they can’t, I risk limiting their future, and others perceptions of them moving forward educationally.

When it comes to assessments, it is necessary to be careful not to interpret lack of progress as a student deficit right away. Instead, I can reflect on whether the instructional strategy needs tweaking. Maybe the cues weren’t natural enough, or maybe the materials didn’t match the student’s interests. I’ can also make sure my data collection focuses on growth and context, not just isolated skills. The Least Dangerous Assumption reminds me that my job isn’t just to teach, it’s to believe in my students, even when the evidence isn’t obvious yet. That belief shapes everything: how I talk to them, what goals I set, and how I advocate for their inclusion and independence.

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I will apply the concept of least dangerous assumption by believing in my students' disabilities regardless of their disabilities or diagnoses. This belief will guide how I plan lessons by making all lessons meaningful with the right supports and accommodations. My teaching strategies will focus on inclusion and high expectations and my assessments will be flexible and accessible. My assessments will also be informal and provide my students with different opportunities to show me their progress based of their learning styles. I will always assume competence in my students and create an environment where every student is able to be the best versions of themselves.

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After reading about the Least Dangerous Assumption, what really stood out to me was the idea of always presuming competence in students with disabilities. One of the articles explains that when we aren’t totally sure what a student can do, it’s better to assume they can learn than to assume they can’t. That made me think about how much harm comes from low expectations. If teachers assume a student can’t do something, that student may never even get the chance to try.

Another article went further and showed how presuming competence should change how schools actually teach. It’s not just about believing in students, but also about giving them real access to the curriculum, opportunities to participate in class, and the support they need to succeed. I thought it was powerful that she called on teachers to rethink their practices so students with disabilities are included in meaningful ways, not just placed in the room.

For me, the biggest takeaway is that it’s way more damaging to underestimate someone than it is to overestimate them. If you set the bar too low, you’re holding them back before they even start. But if you believe they can do more, you give them opportunities, confidence, and dignity. As a teacher, from this class forward I want to make sure I’m giving all students the chance to show what they can do, instead of letting my own assumptions limit them.

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Protecting students with disabilities is extremely important, especially when considering the fact that advocacy for themselves often looks different than it does for typical students. I want to prioritize the rights of my students by continuing to plan activities that are age-appropriate and similar in topic to those of their same aged peers in general education. I am using the extended content standards along with their IEP goals to accomplish this. I have unfortunately made the mistake of teaching students in a way that is "1-on-1" within a small group in which I bounce back and forth between 2-3 students. This involves a lot of time being wasted for my students. I want to use a better approach of involving interaction between them when completing tasks, and experiment with completing each step together at the same pace. This may require re-grouping students. I also want to incorporate individual task boxes to minimize "dead time" when students aren't able to work at the same pace to master a concept. When assessing students, I want to do so in a way that is more accommodating to differences like attention deficits, processing speeds, and various modes of communication. I will start my assessment windows earlier when possible, use delayed prompting, and as few prompts as possible. I also plan to use as many visual prompts as possible and decrease verbal prompts. I will evaluate assessment results to first determine how I can and should improve instruction and prompting before making assumptions that a student is incapable or unmotivated.

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Least Dangerous Assumption is something that I had never heard of until I began the readings for this assignment. I find it to be a shame that in the educational setting this is not discussed more; among special education teachers and general education teachers alike. It wasn't until I began teaching in the self contained setting that I realized the preconceived ideas and assumptions that I carry as an educator. When I first started in special education there was a lot of "undoing" that I had to do in order to truly advocate for what my students needed. I believe that intelligence looks different for every person and that each individual has skills that are specific to them. It seems to me that we would be better able to prepare students for adulthood if we took this into consideration more. I find it to be incredibly harmful to believe that a student "can't" or "won't" be successful as an adult simply because of their academic performance in school. There are many ways for students to be successful if they have a team of people who are willing to take the time to find out their areas of interest and giftedness. I believe that social media has helped to draw attention to the idea of multiple intelligences and given a platform for people with disabilities to talk about it and show how successful they can be when given the right tools. This is a topic that I intend to look into more and keep at the forefront of my mind when I'm in the classroom (anywhere really) because I feel like it will make me a better educator and more able to truly meet students where they are.

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I have experience pertaining to the girl in this article. My school just developed a self-contained classroom, and it is the only self-contained classroom in our district for middle schoolers. This program (classroom) was developed because we had a student who was nonverbal and has serve autism and uses a technology device in order to communicate; sometimes. This student was kicked out of a school due to them not being able to provide the adequate services for her, so her mom enrolled her in a regular school classroom. It has been hard to provide the services that she needs and to talk about plans pertaining to her future because her mother doesn't seem to understand that her child is limited to many things and may need to take another route for the future. I do think that applying the inclusion setting is something that needs to be provided for all students with a disability, but I do think that we also need to have a sense of "reality" and think about the future of a student as they get older. I know that this student will not be able to work independently, but while the student is in the school setting it is important for her to remain in an environment where she can excel and be great according to the learning level that she is on. I always try to provide a better space for my students, but I do think that I could assist my co-workers with providing different learning techniques for our self-contained student.

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Rather than beginning with "Can this student do this?" I will ask, "What supports does this student need to access this content alongside their peers?" This reframing is critical. As Donnellan reminds us, we should assume that poor performance is due to instructional inadequacy rather than student deficits.

In practice, this means:

Starting with grade-level content standards for all students, rather than automatically lowering expectations based on labels or test scores

Planning for general education classroom participation as the default, with specialized instruction integrated into that context

Designing communication systems that include age-appropriate vocabulary about academic content, current events, and social topics, not just basic needs

Collaborating with general education teachers during planning time to embed supports within typical instruction rather than creating parallel curricula

The research is clear: students with IDD show greater engagement, better communication and literacy skills, and improved academic performance when included in general education classes with appropriate supports. My teaching must reflect this.

I will:

Provide robust AAC and assistive technology before judging what a student knows, recognizing that difficulties demonstrating ability are not evidence of intellectual incompetence

Use person-first, strengths-based language and speak directly to students using age-appropriate vocabulary and topics

Deliver services within the general education classroom whenever possible, modeling integrated support rather than pull-out services

Look for and expect competence, even in ambiguous behaviors, rather than searching for confirmation of deficits

Teach functional skills within natural contexts of the school day, not in isolation at the expense of academic learning

The scenario of "Kim" from Jorgensen's article powerfully illustrates this: if we're wrong about presuming incompetence, we may deprive a student of education, friendships, dignity, and future opportunities. If we're wrong about presuming competence, we've simply provided rich experiences and high-quality instruction.

Before making any conclusions about what a student has or hasn't learned, I must ask:

Were the necessary communication supports provided effectively?

Did the student have access to the same information as classmates through adapted materials?

Was the student positioned for full participation in the learning activity?

Have we provided adequate time and multiple means of demonstrating understanding?

As the Beyond Access research demonstrates, teams must evaluate whether required supports were implemented with fidelity before drawing conclusions about student learning. Assessment must focus on progress in the general education curriculum, not just acquisition of isolated functional skills.

I will also:

Write IEP goals that reflect content standards from general education curriculum while including meaningful functional goals

Document membership and participation in general education settings as indicators of access to learning

Use alternate forms of demonstration that mirror those of classmates without disabilities

Focus feedback on student success and growth rather than highlighting failures and deficits

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After reading the articles on the Least Dangerous Assumption, I have come to the understanding of how I might think about planning and teaching for my students. As a beginning special education teacher, I have a lot to learn and grow. In these readings, I was presented with the idea that students may not be aware of their capabilities. In my future classroom, I will remind my students of their capabilities and have high expectations for them. In my planning, this means I will design lessons that are inclusive, challenging, and engaging. In my teaching, I will make it a priority to create an environment that is safe and supportive for my students. I will be mindful of the language that I use and how participating in an activity may look. For assessments, I want to make sure that there is an opportunity for all my students to show their understanding. I know that there is no test that fits all my students' learning and measures what they know. This could be alternative testing or observation. Using the Least Dangerous Assumption is about making sure my students are getting every opportunity they can in the school system and having high expectations.

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The Least Dangerous Assumption principle encourages educators to make decisions, especially when there is insufficient data, that if the assumption ends up being incorrect does not harm the student. From my time in high school field placements in undergrad, I was told that it is more difficult to move a student from a restrictive environment to a less restrictive environment (i.e from OCS to regular gen ed) than it is to move students to less restrictive to more restrictive. Therefore, it is important when making decisions for students to always assume that students are capable and competent. I believe that the Least Dangerous Assumption principle is the foundation for documents such as the IEP and the IDEA. It causes teachers and other school personnel to change their thinking from "this student can't do this" to what accommodations, modifications, and other supports need to be put in place so that the student can do this. For me as an ECGC teacher, this means working with the general education teachers on how they implement these supports within their classrooms to support these students. Once all of these options have been exhausted then we can consider a more restrictive environment.

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After reading the articles on Least Dangerous Assumption, I know that this belief aligns to my professional goals in educating students with disabilities. I never want to assume that a specific topic or assignment is too difficult for them or limit their opportunities in the classroom. On the other hand, I also want to help be a voice for them and fight for their opportunities when others automatically want to discount their ability. In my planning, I will continue to search and select materials and activities that I presume the students can participate in with the right scaffolds and supports. This also means that I will offer opportunities for problem-solving and communication, even if my students need prompting or other supports to be successful. When assessing my students, I will use a variety of methods, including student work samples, portfolios and observations to capture their true ability and understanding of concepts being taught instead of relying on standardized assessments.

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When teaching, planning, and assessing, I will use the least dangerous assumption but planning instruction at my students independent levels, assuming they will learn and make growth on what in explicitly taught, and assessing their learning periodically to adapt my planning and teaching. I will maintain high expectations for all students and build upon their learned skills.

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After reading about the Least Dangerous Assumption, I realized how much it connects to the way I want to approach teaching. The idea is simple, but powerful. If we do not have clear proof of what a student can or cannot do, we should assume they can because lowering expectations or limiting opportunities can cause the most harm. In my planning, that means that I will start with the belief that every student in my self-contained class deserves access to a meaningful middle grades curriculum. Instead of asking, “Can this student do it?” I will ask, “How can I best support this student in doing it?” That might mean adapting reading materials, adding visuals, or offering alternative ways for students to demonstrate their understanding.

For example, if a student struggles with reading, I can still include them through shared reading, audiobooks, or group discussions, so that they are part of the learning experience. For assessment, I will look beyond standardized tests and focus on authentic ways to capture growth, such as performance tasks, portfolios, curriculum-based assessments, and ecological inventories. These approaches will allow me to see progress that numbers alone might overlook.

The Least Dangerous Assumption reminds me to keep high expectations, presume competence, and make sure that every student in my classroom has the chance to learn, grow, and succeed. Reading about the LDA reminded me of a book I read in another course, Being Heumann by Judy Heumann, that emphasizes the importance of access, dignity, and the belief that individuals with disabilities deserve full participation. Both the book and the principle push me to create a classroom that opens doors for my students rather than closes them.

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Hadley Seifert- Least Dangerous Assumption

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Hadley Seifert- Least Dangerous Assumption

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After reading the articles on Least Dangerous Assumption (LDA) it is clear to me how important it is for teachers to have high expectations of their students. When we assume students can do it rather than can't when there is not enough data to show a students abilities, we help create these high expectations for students and create supports and instruction for them to access these expectations. A quote that stood out to me was "we should assume that poor performance is due to instructional inadequacy rather than to student deficits. -Anne Donnellan". This quote will help ensure that I am implementing LDA, constantly reflecting on my own teaching and how I can improve it in order to best serve my students rather than just assuming the student can't do it and never will be able to. In my planning, I will design fun and engaging lessons that assume these high expectations and allow me to flexible implement supports and prompting based on students needs. In my teaching, I will provide scaffolding and provide high opportunities to respond to ensure student engagement and constantly assess students understanding during the lesson to make sure they are grasping the material. In my assessments, I will incorporate multiple forms of assessment that allow me to have a full picture of student understanding and allow them to demonstrate their learning in numerous ways and opportunities. This assessment data will then inform my planning and instruction by giving me a better picture of what students did/did not understand. By presuming competence, I can ensure that students are not limited by my expectations and will be provided many meaningful learning opportunities.

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After reading the least dangerous assumption, it really changed how I will now think about planning and teaching. It will be a goal of mine to include all students in every lesson and think about different ways to provide multiple opportunities for everyone to participate if they want. I want to be able to focus on providing opportunities an environment where students can really show what they know. I grew up as one of those students who wasn’t always able to show their learning in the format the teacher wanted, which made it very difficult. Having that experience, I want to be able to create an inclusive classroom where students can often pick how they want to show me their knowledge.