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In Kansas, my son with Down syndrome has developmental disabilities but also has some autistic behaviors. The terms can change so quickly that it is impossible to keep up. You often just hear "MR" for mentally retarded. I think that "mentally retarded" became less acceptable when people who were ignorant of what the term met began using it to describe people that were dumb or stupid which is not the case. Trust me when I tell you that mentally retarded isn't stupid and I believe there is a book titled or subtitled that. I would also agree that the terminology has become more specific thus "mentally retarded" not really telling one a heck of a lot about the condition of the person. "Slow" is not as inappropriate as one might think because when it comes to the milestones, my son was slower but still mastered all of those as well as many other skills that just took longer.
Yes, I think the use of "You RE-tard" as an insult had a lot to do with the dropping of retarded as a perfectly good descriptive word. Usually the term is used toward someone who is willfully acting stupid, but is of normal intelligence.
I know it's been posted on other forums on CD, but I like to point out that Dr. John Langdon Down's original paper was entitled Observations on an Ethnic Classification of Idiots. At the time, "Idiot" was a perfectly acceptable word for a certain level of mental retardation, as was "moron" and "imbecile".
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One of my coworkers has a son with Down's Syndrome. He lives in a group home and has a job. He gets around by himself using the NYC subway, too. He's a very cheerful and outgoing young man.
Thanks Julia. Delayed to me means slow but will eventually catch up which I don't think applies to retardation. That is why I'm surprised to know that Developmentally Delayed is applied to adults. Is there hope the adult will "catch up" with other adults? Or isn't there a set point where progress is not going to happen? Thanks for the education. These are not questions you can ask just anybody for fear of being offensive.
I see what you mean. I hadn't thought of the word "delayed" that way, but it's a reasonable interpretation. I don't think people with developmental delay usually catch up, but it depends on the impairment. An adult who can read at an elementary level, do some math, and write legibly can still function in society without passing 12th grade (without modification). A person with social impairments can learn to act and react "normally," although those behaviors might feel bewildering and unnatural. Speech impediments and delays might be overcome. In other instances, the person will always have noticeable challenges. For instance, my daughter has a significant speech impediment, not only in her voice but also in the way she puts sentences together. She will probably speak that way her whole life.
I think that "developmental delay" usually applies to people with conditions that are more severe and/or permanent.
A 'developmental delay' as I understand is, a delay in the person's development when compared to typical milestones. A child who does not speak at age 3 is an example of someone with a developmental delay. It does not mean they will not overcome it or eventually catch up. My dd is a perfect example.
Also, the latest study on autism that found 1 in 88, also found that most children with autism have IQ's above 85. The majority are near normal or above. The thinking before this was that most had IQ's below 70, so this is good news, but it is going to be hard to dispel the notion that most autistic people have cognitive impairments. It's also harder for people to realize it because many have other impairments (movement and speech) that can make it appear as though they are MR. In fact, many non-verbal people are emerging as quite intelligent once they have found an alternative means of communication.
I'm hoping that all of this leads of more understanding and tolerance of people with autism. Not that people who have lower IQ's don't need that same acceptance, it's just that I think many opportunities will be wasted for those with autism, unless we can understand them better.
Mental retardation is now referred to as "intellectual disability". The diagnostic criteria are IQ below 70 PLUS problems with adaptive functioning scored below 70. My daughter tested with an IQ of 73 and adaptive of <70, so she does not quite qualify for this diagnosis. She is termed "borderline". At age 3, IQ is still plastic, so it is possible that she can still "catch up" given time. We just don't know yet.
My daughter is currently classified under "developmental delay" for school. This classification is only available until age 8 though. It means that the child is currently behind her peers in certain aspects, but may or may not "catch up". If the condition is known to be chronic, then it is classified as "developmental disability".
Again I want to thank all of you for explaining Autism.
I too dislike the term retarded . there was another term that was used back in the 60s calling people who were deaf deaf and D...b I dont even want to spell the word that was use. Fact I know a lot of people who are deaf and very smart and were labled a negative word for their disablity.
Few days ago there was a segment on TV KOLO news about a boy who has autism and is in HS on Football team and works with a tutor to keep up to pace with his classmates. Its nice to see that he was not left out and is accepted and is able to be a part of social activites with children of all types
I like to see every child with autium be able to be treated equal and its imporant that people understand what autism is and again thank you for educating me on the subject matter.
I never heard of Autisum back in the 60's 70's 80's early 90's is Now I no longer hear of children being retardard... So I am wondering is Autisum another medical word that is now used in place of retardation?
I know this is a sensative issue and discussion. I appreciate that anyone responding also understand that I am just trying to find out if there is a difference or the same imedical issues and not be offended by my asking. thank you
Mental Retardation is not autism, although those with M.R. can also have autism. Autism affects behaviors, social skills, verbal and nonverbal communication and sensory issues.
One can have autism with or without intellectual impairment. I teach students with autism who also have some degree of intellectual impairment, and those who do not. I also have students with autism who aquire various skills at a much slower rate, but do eventually aquire them (and this doesn't always have to do with intellectual ability, in some cases, behavior impedes skill acquisition, in some, sensory processing delays are the hurdle, etc.). I also have students with autism who pick skills up very quickly. Some people with autism also have intellectual disabilities, some don't. Autism can also be comorbid with other disorders.
Again I want to thank all of you for explaining Autism.
I too dislike the term retarded . there was another term that was used back in the 60s calling people who were deaf deaf and D...b I dont even want to spell the word that was use. Fact I know a lot of people who are deaf and very smart and were labled a negative word for their disablity.
Few days ago there was a segment on TV KOLO news about a boy who has autism and is in HS on Football team and works with a tutor to keep up to pace with his classmates. Its nice to see that he was not left out and is accepted and is able to be a part of social activites with children of all types
I like to see every child with autium be able to be treated equal and its imporant that people understand what autism is and again thank you for educating me on the subject matter.
They were called deaf and dumb because "dumb" is a word that means "unable to speak". The term "deaf and dumb" has no more to do with intelligence any more than does the term "deaf-mute".
They were called deaf and dumb because "dumb" is a word that means "unable to speak". The term "deaf and dumb" has no more to do with intelligence any more than does the term "deaf-mute".
While that is true of the definition, if you really think that people did not associate not speaking with mental retardation and non-intelligence, then you would be wrong. The people working in the field knew the facts, but the general public assumed, just like it assumes that autistic means stupid (especially with non-verbal autistics).
from what i know and heard is that retardation deals with people that are very slow or delayed in mental thinking and their ability to function with different people and the environment round them. This type of disorder is untreatable and incurable.
On the other side autism deals with people for instance have communication problems, socialization problems that they cant interact with many groups of people and also repetitive behaviors. But one child may have much more problems in one or two of the areas, and not so much in a third. That's why one autistic child can appear very different from another but they all have the three characteristics, in some way or another, in common.
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