¶ … SPECIAL EDUCATION & EARLY CHILDHOOD Special Education

Tasks in Special Education and Early Childhood

Defining Intellectual Disability and Degrees Thereof

Language is a powerful tool or a powerful weapon. The language used to described non-normative populations is often accompanied by a vigorous and often difficult discussion regarding what kinds of words are academically, professionally, and medically describing abnormal populations. One such term with an interesting history is the term "mental retardation." Within the recent years of the 21st century, there has been a shift away from the term mental retardation and more toward the phrase intellectual disability. The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) has been an influential party with respect to this linguistic, conceptual, and social shift. Dunlap (2009) elaborates upon the definition of mental retardation that the AAIDD proposes, stating that it is "a disability characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills."

This is use and definition of the term mental retardation is acceptable to this author. Mental retardation is an accurate term when considering the etymology of the individual words that compose this phrase. Schalock et al. explain:

The noun retardation refers to the act of retarding. Retard is a verb meaning to slow down or delay…Only later did the term retarded shift from referring to the event or circumstance of not progressing from one grade to the next to referring to the student or person who...

Mental retardation was a term meaning, literally, mental slowness, and it was used to name an underlying construct or idea in which defects of the mind resulted in performance limitations characterized by mental slowness. (Schalock et al., 2008,-Page 313)
Therefore, when referring to a person who displays developmental delays as a result of mental slowness or low level of mental capacity, mental retardation is one of several appropriate terms. I think the problem with the term has more to do with the social and cultural realities in which many people live. Retard and retardation are now words that a part of the common vernacular, particularly in western and highly industrialized societies such as the one found in the United States. People have used, misused, and abused the words retard and retardation so much to the point that the medical and academic communities are now nervous, sensitive, and hyper-aware that perhaps the phrase mental retardation is not somehow nice. I have professional experience working with children and adolescents that are classified as disabled or with special needs. Mental retardation is a technical term, that in my experience was used appropriately and never in a pejorative manner.

The shift to the term intellectual disability is not without merit, though. There are a number of conditions, mental retardation notwithstanding, that are and should be classified as intellectual disabilities. Therefore, I am not in opposition of the existence of the category of intellectual disability. Mental retardation may rightfully be placed in such a category, but to use the term intellectual disability instead of mental retardation, I think is excessive and has other implications that theorists, researchers, and experts have not considered in the lives of those who are affected directly by this linguistic reclassification of nomenclauture. Schalock et al. continue:

Significant consequences can result from the way a term…