Whats in a name: Mental Retardation vs. Developmental Disabilities?
Much has been said, researched, analyzed and debated about these terms. The shift away from “mental retardation” reflects a fair consensus that the term is prone to abuse, misinterpretation, and has devolved into an insult, especially for people with disabilities and family members and that it no longer reflects the changed construct of the disability. For more information, read “The Renaming of Mental Retardation: Understanding the Change to the Term Intellectual Disability.” To learn more about the definition and discussion, visit The Arc.
