The least dangerous assumption is an inclusive approach to educational policy and pedagogy. It holds that, "in the absence of conclusive data, educational decisions should be based on assumptions which, if incorrect, will have the least dangerous effect on the student". This concept was coined in 1984 by Anne Donnellan, a researcher in special education. The principle is most closely associated with the areas of intellectual disability and communication disorder, although it can be applied more generally in the domain of learning and teaching, and beyond. In most contexts in which it is used, the principle holds that one should, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, presume competence, rather than non-competence, in others.