Least Dangerous Assumption Summary

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These quotes by Earl Nightingale and Georg Lichtenberg are so powerful after reading “The Least Dangerous Assumption” by Cheryl Jorgensen, Ph.D. In the article, the author mentioned Anne Donnellan, who gave a detailed definition of least dangerous assumption in 1984, which I want to paraphrase the information I digested. To my understanding, the point Donnellan was trying to make is to be mindful of the damage we can cause by assuming the worse of those with disabilities. Therefore, we want to be cautious and think the ultimate best, which in turn can bring out the best.
With these expressions by Nightingale and Lichtenberg, by us determining what people with disabilities are capable of doing or capable of becoming, we acquire a self-righteous
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Therefore, the prevailing paradigm is what places limitations on those with disabilities, not the actual people and their capacities. For example, if someone with a disability is never treated as being intelligent, how can anyone gauge that person’s intellect? So, what must we do as a society? We must lift the attitudinal barricades and position those with disabilities in environments that positively affirm them, reflecting LRE (Least Restrictive Environment), which attempts to provide equal opportunities for those with disabilities to interact with those who do not have disabilities.
Let’s think of nature for a second. In 1848, the German professor, Gustav Fechner published the book Nanna (Soul-life of Plants). In his publication, he demonstrated the notion that plants benefit from human conversation. Even Prince Charles shared his feedback on his gardening techniques in a 1986 interview. "I just come and talk to the plants, really. Very important to talk to them; they respond." (Stevenson, 2008) If plants can respond to human conversation, how much more can those with disabilities respond to the verbal stimuli they are exposed