Semantics change everything, though. Saying a child with autism indicates the child has more than just autism, s/he has curly hair, blue eyes, a great sense of humor. You wouldn't define others by a diagnosis- you wouldn't say "That kid's a cancer kid" It makes a big big difference to the parents.
That's like that "retarded show" called "Sid the Science Kid". It's "Hella" awful. I mean, who would say something like that?!? Disgusting.
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without the inflammatory/derogatory history that comes with "retarded".
I think it's kind of interesting that we don't have the same feelings about "idiot," "moron," and "imbecile." They are also outdated terms that were once used by medical professionals to discriminate against people with supposed cognitive disabilities. But we use those words all the time. I'm aware of the hurt and real mistreatment of people behind those words, and I still use them. I wonder what makes it different? Just that more decades have passed, I guess.
Don't forget "feeble minded", that's what I would use around "grownups".
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It has been my understanding that the term "intellectual disability" is preferred over the term "mental retardation", even in regards to the DSM diagnosis.
Lurker here..... In the educational setting, it is referred to as cognitive impairment. I think you would lose all credibility if you referred to a student any level of retardation ( referring to a previous post).
It's good to know that in 10 years "cognitively impaired" will be an offensive term used by children to insult each other. It totally happened with "special needs".
-My son was born in April 2012. He pretty much rules.
Lurker here..... In the educational setting, it is referred to as cognitive impairment. I think you would lose all credibility if you referred to a student any level of retardation ( referring to a previous post).
It's good to know that in 10 years "cognitively impaired" will be an offensive term used by children to insult each other. It totally happened with "special needs".
Yes, as seems to happen with all labels. " moron, idiot, lame,etc". All used to be the "correct" terms.
Officially, it is never ok to say someone is mentally retarded. The condition they have is mental retardation.
Same with autism. A person is not "autistic". They have autism.
Can you explain further? I' dont think I see the difference, except semantics.
Mentally retarded is an adverb and a verb, mental retardation are 2 nouns--2 things.
Mental retardation is what a person has, not what they are.
I get that, but for me they are pretty closely intertwined. I have a daughter, therefore I AM a mother. It's not the only thing I am, but it IS something that I am.
Many people don't like saying someone "is autistic" or "is mentally retarded" because it identifies them first by their condition which seems to demean their personhood. They are first and foremost a person so it is is much more acceptable to identify them as "a person with..." because it makes the condition secondary to their personhood
Basically, it's not cool to define them by their handicap.
Hardcore lurker coming out to address this. I worked in the psychology department for a network of group homes for adults with developmental/intellectual disabilities. I believe it has been proposed that the DSM-V change "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability" and this was the most common label in many, many articles I read while working on Master's thesis.
So where I used to see MR/DD all the time, it is now more common to see ID/DD.
Mental retardation is an official DSM-IV diagnosis with varying levels. There is profound, severe, moderate and mild mental retardation which is typically based on valid IQ scores. So if you are referring to a person with a diagnosis of mental retardation that would be the only appropriate way in which to use it.
This exactly. I actually know a lot of people who work for what up until recently was the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. They recently changed names to be more people first orientated. For years I would get side eyed when I told people where they worked. I think the word has such a negative connotation now that people forget it is an actual diagnosis.
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Mental retardation is an official DSM-IV diagnosis with varying levels. There is profound, severe, moderate and mild mental retardation which is typically based on valid IQ scores. So if you are referring to a person with a diagnosis of mental retardation that would be the only appropriate way in which to use it.
I really don't think anyone uses it clinically anymore, though. I took a Special Education class a couple years ago, and everything in our textbook referred to "Intellectual Disabilities." The word "retardation" is not used anymore, since people find it offensive. I know I would never use it when talking to my colleages about a student with special needs.
Also, my mom was a SPED teacher for many years, and they were phasing out the terms "severe, profound, moderate" etc. when she retired in 2006. IEPs have really made those generalizations unnecessary.
Also, I found this link for the DSM-V changing the terminology to "Intellectual Developmental Disorder"
Obama Signs Bill Replacing ?Mental Retardation? With ?Intellectual Disability?ByMICHELLE DIAMENTOctober 5, 2010Text Size AAPresident Barack Obama signed legislation Tuesday requiring the federal government to replace the term ?mental retardation? with ?intellectual disability? in many areas of government.The measure known as Rosa?s Law was approved unanimously by Congress before receiving the go-ahead from the president with little fanfare this week.Under the law, ?mental retardation? and ?mentally retarded? will be stripped from federal health, education and labor policy. ?Intellectual disability? and ?individual with an intellectual disability? will be inserted in their place. The rights of individuals with disabilities will remain the same.?This is a really important step, particularly for the self-advocacy community,? said Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc, which lobbied heavily for Rosa?s Law. ?Self-advocates have been working for many years to remove hurtful language and this takes our community one step closer.?Even with the new law in effect, the terms will not be swapped out immediately. That?s because the change will be implemented gradually over the next several years as laws and documents are revised so that the alteration does not incur any cost.By moving to use the term ?intellectual disability,? the federal government is following a trend. Most states and some federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already use the new language.Rosa?s Law is named for Rosa Marcellino, a Maryland girl with Down syndrome.
Re: Honest question re: "retarded"
That's like that "retarded show" called "Sid the Science Kid". It's "Hella" awful. I mean, who would say something like that?!? Disgusting.
Don't forget "feeble minded", that's what I would use around "grownups".
Sid the Science Kid and Skyler White from Breaking Bad need to go drown in the same pool.
Please "like" my new page called "I hate Skyler White" on fb.
It's good to know that in 10 years "cognitively impaired" will be an offensive term used by children to insult each other. It totally happened with "special needs".
Yes, as seems to happen with all labels. " moron, idiot, lame,etc". All used to be the "correct" terms.
Many people don't like saying someone "is autistic" or "is mentally retarded" because it identifies them first by their condition which seems to demean their personhood. They are first and foremost a person so it is is much more acceptable to identify them as "a person with..." because it makes the condition secondary to their personhood
Basically, it's not cool to define them by their handicap.
Hardcore lurker coming out to address this. I worked in the psychology department for a network of group homes for adults with developmental/intellectual disabilities. I believe it has been proposed that the DSM-V change "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability" and this was the most common label in many, many articles I read while working on Master's thesis.
So where I used to see MR/DD all the time, it is now more common to see ID/DD.
This exactly. I actually know a lot of people who work for what up until recently was the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. They recently changed names to be more people first orientated. For years I would get side eyed when I told people where they worked. I think the word has such a negative connotation now that people forget it is an actual diagnosis.
I really don't think anyone uses it clinically anymore, though. I took a Special Education class a couple years ago, and everything in our textbook referred to "Intellectual Disabilities." The word "retardation" is not used anymore, since people find it offensive. I know I would never use it when talking to my colleages about a student with special needs.
Also, my mom was a SPED teacher for many years, and they were phasing out the terms "severe, profound, moderate" etc. when she retired in 2006. IEPs have really made those generalizations unnecessary.
Also, I found this link for the DSM-V changing the terminology to "Intellectual Developmental Disorder"
https://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=384