Reflection on Least Restrictive for whom - Essay Example

Brian’s Story The story of Brian makes one aware of the hardships of the hearing impaired. The knowledge of how difficult it is for them to communicate to others and the happiness for them when they are in a group of similar people is astounding.1. The least restrictive environment is the one that offers the highest comfort level for the hearing impaired boy, Brian. In this instance, it is a place where he is among others that can’t hear and that communicate with sign language. This is where it brings the normal everyday parts of life alive for a hearing impaired person.

It is where he was most comfortable and able to enjoy life, just like other human beings do.2. Yes, I agree that deafness must be the most difficult condition to live with because without hearing it is hard to speak, too. Without sound life would be very bland and lonely, not to mention very scary. Without being able to communicate it would be frightening for even the strongest of people.3. Mary may have had better communication in explaining the fact that Brian was not doing so well in the school.

He was sad and lonely because he could not communicate properly. The parents knew that she cared very much for Brian, but nothing really could have helped let them know how crucial to his improvement it was to be around other hearing impaired people. Only they can truly understand each other. The parents had to come to terms with that for themselves and they did.4. If they had the means to they should have had a trained speech pathologist work with Brian regularly in a class of other hearing impaired students so that he did not feel that he was all alone in a sea of hearing human beings.

Not being the only one perhaps would have allowed him a better chance at integrating himself. If he could have seen more people like himself it wouldn’t have been as fearful. 5. I think the placement of Brian came at the correct time. Such a young child was better off in the care of his parents until it was time for him to begin learning about the rest of the world. The parents could only do so much since they were not trained in sign language at the time. At the age he was placed it was crucial for him to develop into a normal child with friends and communication everyday - a remarkable amount of communication that he could understand and encompass, so that it would lead to a more fulfilling life for him.

Brian’s story is a touching one. It is sad that any human being has to experience the sadness of being hearing impaired. However, with lots of trained professionals in sign language and other resources it is a joy to see that hearing impaired people can experience the wonders of life another way. Together, the plight of the hearing impaired can be lessened, their burdens not as hard. When we remember how lucky we are to hear, our hearts will go out to anyone with a hearing impairment and the hope that they integrate as well as Brian was able to.