The renaming of mental retardation: Understanding the change to the term intellectual disability.

2007

There is considerable and intense discussion in the field of intellectual disability/ mental retardation about the construct of disability, how intellectual disability fits within the general construct of disability, and the use of the term intellectual disability. This discussion is occurring within the context of competing world views of the philosophical and epistemological underpinnings of the conceptions of intellectual disability/mental retardation. The purpose of this article is to clarify the shift to the term intellectual disability. At the heart of that shift is the understanding that the term intellectual disability covers the same population of individuals who were diagnosed previously with mental retardation in number, kind, level, type and duration of the disability and the need of people with this disability for individualized services and supports. Furthermore, every individual who is or was eligible for a diagnosis of mental retardation is eligible for a diagnosis of intellectual disability.

Peer-reviewed publications in scholarly journals Published/In Press

Professionals, Students

Electronic (disc, CD, 508 compliant web posting)

N/A