Entire school learns sign language so one student wouldn't feel alone
Ben O'Reilly was feeling alone because of his disabilities, so the entire school decided to step up for him
Seven-year-old Ben O'Reilly, who is deaf and has other special needs, used to spend his school days in a quiet world of his own making. As the only deaf student in the entire district of Campton, New Hampshire, he had no way of chatting with his classmates on the playground or connecting with the teachers of Campton Elementary. His aide, Cheryl Ulicny, watched him navigate this deep, daily isolation, more so, since New Hampshire lacks a dedicated school for the deaf. But that was until a few of Ben's classmates decided to change that, and the effect of this can be beautifully seen in a clip posted by CBS Sunday Morning (@cbssundaymorning) on April 6, 2026, amassing a staggering 138,000 likes.
Ben's classmates sparked a change
This ordeal started with a few of Ben's friends, including Reid Spring, who picked up a few signs from him. Although it was nowhere near perfect, it was the effort that motivated others to follow suit. Seeing these students making an effort to connect with this kid, his entire class decided to learn the language. "It's fun communicating with Ben and playing with him," Spring told CBS News. Within no time at all, other grades also joined in, with language classes becoming a staple at Campton Elementary, even when Ben wasn't around.
Today, almost everyone who is connected to the school knows at least a little bit of sign language. This, obviously, is a huge thing for little Ben, who only communicates and expresses himself through sign language. So, having friends and teachers who know how to use it not only helps him bond but also study and understand better. "You could just watch his world open up with communication. It was amazing," Ulicny noted after seeing all of this unfold before her very eyes.
Ben's mothers were left speechless
As for Ben's adoptive mothers, Etta and Marlaina O'Reilly, they were overwhelmed by the love their kid received from the Campton Elementary community, so much so that they could "barely breathe" when they first witnessed this. At the same time, they also acknowledged the immense impact this kind gesture would have on Ben's studies and his future.
Deaf students' challenges in regular schools
Nonetheless, as heart-touching as this story is, it prompts a much broader conversation. Even though a whopping 79% of deaf and hard-of-hearing kids across the States are educated exclusively in public schools, and only a small fraction (21%) of kids study in deaf schools, as per the National Library of Medicine, why aren't more teachers taught sign language?
This is a huge concern because deaf students in mainstream schools face a lot of challenges, from social exclusion to bullying and stress, all of which could take a huge toll on their mental health, as per another study. That said, while the issues remain, people were happy to see at least Ben get a great environment.
'Seeing children be compassionate...'
That's because in the comment section of CBS Evening News' clip, they were impressed by the entire Campton Elementary community. @santa_j_clause commented, "Seeing children be compassionate, while beautiful, is no surprise. We can learn a lot from children. My concern is how we can encourage more adults to be compassionate once again." At the same time, @esvyyyy wrote, "The little boy who said it's fun playing and communicating with him. Protect him at all costs, you can just see the pure emotion and how much he understands the significance of learning sign language!"
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