U.S. government should stop using the word 'retarded'

still wont help make people stop saying that word...there will always be some people saying it all the time...it's a pretty cruel world we are in.
 
The new term, "intellectual disability" doesn't sound good either. :)

It said, "The medical terms that have, historically, been used to describe them (imbecile, moron, idiot, and currently, mentally retarded) have become common terms of derision and ridicule."

And later, people will mock stupid people saying, "You have intellectual disability, obviously."

And people with intellectual disability will whine saying that they're not intellectually disabled, just mentally different.

Honestly, do you think about mental retarded people when you call normal people, "retards?" Think not!
 
netrox said:
The new term, "intellectual disability" doesn't sound good either. :)

It said, "The medical terms that have, historically, been used to describe them (imbecile, moron, idiot, and currently, mentally retarded) have become common terms of derision and ridicule."

And later, people will mock stupid people saying, "You have intellectual disability, obviously."

And people with intellectual disability will whine saying that they're not intellectually disabled, just mentally different.

Honestly, do you think about mental retarded people when you call normal people, "retards?" Think not!
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yeah, it's not a good idea. i know some people who are pretty dumb, but they're not mentally retarded. imagine the claims for disability! :roll:
 
On the other hand netrox, at least intellectucal disabilty is more precise then developmental disabilty. I hate it when developmental disabilty is used., since that can be used for somehting like autism or even an LD where significent adaptive deficts are present.
I use the term MR, as in " She has MR.
Mentally retarded is a DSMV dx. Retarded simply means slow. It does not mean "dumbass"
 
deafdyke said:
On the other hand netrox, at least intellectucal disabilty is more precise then developmental disabilty. I hate it when developmental disabilty is used., since that can be used for somehting like autism or even an LD where significent adaptive deficts are present.
I use the term MR, as in " She has MR.
Mentally retarded is a DSMV dx. Retarded simply means slow. It does not mean "dumbass"
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But you see, people don't think of MR people when they insult people, "morons!" or "idiots!" or "retards!"

Also, intellectual disability is just not accurate. There are some autistic people who show amazing intelligence but lack the mental development.
 
Maybe "learning impaired?" Not sure what the options are, and I know there will never be a perfect choice.
 
My boys get into little arguments and call each other at times " 'tard"!...Kids at school do the same thing...I don't foresee the word going away anytime soon.
Mentally Retarded/Mildly Retarded is used a lot....."A Learning Disability" is also.....Even the words "Deaf & Dumb" is still used these days (grrrrr!)....those 2 words really tick me off!...
 
Yea I certainly do not like deaf and dumb term either. Very absolutely insulting. I guess I could just call whoever say that word hearing and dumb or deaf impaired then. :roll:

Of course, deaf and dumb is actually a VERY old saying but today it does offend most deaf people cause dumb is a more common meaning for stupidity.

instead of saying "dumb" at least just say "mute", or "speak inability."

http://www.nchearingloss.org/dumb.htm
 
More words to add to the politically correction list. The word itself is not bad. It is how people use it.
 
Tell the goverment he the one is "retarded" and have him fired and we will get the last laught at the idiot goverment! lol
 
I agree,
I was quite confused by the saying deaf and dumb until I read an interview of Helen keller from the New York Times archives. I was a little perplexed when the reporter stated she was deaf, dumb and blind. Little did I know that the "proper" meaning for dumb is, "mute" or "unable to speak".

Steel X said:
Yea I certainly do not like deaf and dumb term either. Very absolutely insulting. I guess I could just call whoever say that word hearing and dumb or deaf impaired then. :roll:

Of course, deaf and dumb is actually a VERY old saying but today it does offend most deaf people cause dumb is a more common meaning for stupidity.

instead of saying "dumb" at least just say "mute", or "speak inability."

Deaf and Dumb Definition
Click to expand...
 
Yes deaf and dumb is a very old saying for deaf and mute.

I remember growing up and if I didn't quite understand something I would get the line "Are you deaf or just dumb?" My blood would boil everytime I got that. Deaf and dumb reminds me of that line - therefore it offends me given the modern context of the word "dumb".

As for MR - it is a dx in the DSM but often schools will dx a student themselves and place them in special ed without an accurate dx by a mental health professional. They dx based on classroom behavior reports from the teacher, grades, and benchmark results, without regards to other issues that maybe present. This is very dangerous in my opinion.

For a while schools were using the term "mental handicap" instead of "mental retardation" I recall. This label would be applied to special needs students such as those with Down's Syndrome, Asperger's/Autism, and Processing Disorders. Students with Dyslexia and were required to go to the reading lab were labeled as having a Learning Disability. But yet both of these groups would have to spend time together for 2 hours a day in the Special Education Resource Lab.
 
It is hard to use any term for any type of unique abilities.

People will always find some way to use a term in a sick debilitating way!

So we can keep correcting it. And people will find ways to make the new terms to be bad as well.

Like I have said before it is how the word or term is used.
 
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