Intellectual Disability replaces the term Mental Retardation or Mental Deficiency,
My sister had a frequent asthma attack when she was conceiving her baby. As explained by her doctor, an asthma attack during pregnancy can cut back the oxygen to the fetus from her which may also include, among other risks, abnormally slow growth of the fetus (intrauterine growth retardation).
When my niece was born it was evident that she had some physical disability. As she was growing up, she was enrolled in community for special children.
Way before she was born, Filipino culture is not yet ready to this type of personalities. They are being ridiculed and shunned by people, not from the immediate family members, of course. They are kept inside the home and not sent to schools.
Luckily, as my niece was growing up, there were already institutions that help people with disability like Caritas Manila. Also our government had created Special Education or the SPED, to address this kind of situation.
Back then, persons with this condition was called ‘retarded’. Now, the diagnostic term ‘mental retardation’ is finally being eliminated by replacing it with the term ‘intellectual disability’.
In 1961, the term ‘mental retardation’ was introduced by The American Association on Mental Retardation and was adopted by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
Mental retardation replaced older terms such as feeblemindedness, idiocy, and mental subnormality that had become offensive. Now, over 5 decades later, the term ‘mental retardation’ is being eliminated.
In the United States, associations, journals, and committees changed their names/titles. Here are some of the changes:
From The International Association for the Scientific Study of Mental Deficiency (IASSMD) to The International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disability (IASSID).
From The Journal of Mental Deficiency Research to The Journal of Intellectual Disability
Research
From The United States President’s Committee on Mental Retardation to The President’s Committee for Persons With Intellectual Disabilities.
The United States passed what they called, Public Law 111-256 or the Rosa’s law to replace the term ‘mental retardation’ with ‘intellectual disability and requires that person first language be used when referring to those affected in all federal laws.
Rosa’s Law was based on the story of Rosa Marcellino, an 8-year-old girl with Down Syndrome from Maryland.
Here is the story: “Rosa was taunted frequently and negatively called ‘retard’ in a demeaning manner. With support from her state representative and US Senator Barbara Mikulski, legislation was initiated leading to the change in the law. Such change is important not only to deal with the offensive use of the term, but also to emphasize that these are people with neurodevelopmental disorders requiring intervention early in the developmental period”.
Here in the Philippines, the general term being used now is Persons with Disabilities or PWD. Types of PWD are the following:
The Philippine government has existing laws not fully harmonized with United Nation’s Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD):
Magna Carta (RA 7277)
PWD definition based on medical and functional model
Discrimination in employment, transport, public services
Accessibility law (BP 344)
Addresses only built environment
Anti Rape Law (RA8353)
Women and girls with “intellectual disability” are “deprived of reason” and incapable of giving “rational consent”
UNILAB Foundation, tie up with Southstar Drug to hire PWD to work in their company. As stated by the Sourthstar Drug representative, they focus first on the capability or the ability of the PWD, and they will look on their disability second.
Persons with disabilities are part of our society and must be involved in its development.
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Indeed before that is the term @Ruby. I didn't know that it's now called intellectual disability.
That is good, because those previous term is a somewhat demeaning.
It's good also that you explained how come Carla was born with intellectual disability.
I am happy to know Carla had joined those that showcased her talents and abilities and we saw her on TV when she joined one. :)
I am also happy that our society now is more aware that these PWDs are not different from everyone else. They should be treated equally despite their disabilities.
I am also happy that the government is addressing this now by having SPED in almost all public schools in the country.
Hi, and really amazing points you wrote there, and sorry that most of my posts and comments have but, it is not everywhere called that way, and there is nothing wrong to be called in the old name mental retardation, why? some of these people have intelligent that is more than normal people who are not labeled that way
Good Morning ladies and gent.
the term intellectual and retardation are both in use since long time, non is replacing the other, both are correct and you can choose which is suitable to you.
The change in terminology is quite good because it is less hurting for the person affected or to the parents. It is good society had come to accept and understand their situations well. There are special schools for them to help them cope and have a social life.
Yes, so true. I am really happy that we have this SPED Program of the DepEd. It really is demeaning, as Dina mentioned, to use the old term. At least now, our society is aware of we should accept them despite their disabilities.
Hello Ruby? And finally I am able to catch up a blog from you. This day I brought my lap top to school to do inputting of scores to the school's system, so here I am so impressed about your very nice and informative blog.My salute on this for you are presenting here many things like how MR was previously called and changed to wave the incapacity and reputation of the family if having a special child. Yes, you are right, that there are many institutions this time that cater the need of the special children and children with impaired physical properties especially the mental disability. They need care so they will know how to feel love and care.
Take care and congrats.
Thanks Cely!
I do really applaud you for your dedication in your profession and at the same time squeezing time for this site. I hope that your internet connection is now faster than before.
I can really relate to the situation of our PWDs here in the Phils. Although there are already institutions for this, still we lack some financial support for them to be sustainable in their future.
@ trees and moons
in the Special Education Program of our Department of Education, if possible we should not use the word 'mental retardation' anymore but rather the term 'intellectual disability'.
I understand you point and I find intellectual disability is kinds inappropriate as some with mental retardation are having high IQ, and they better than some with no disability, so why to insult the intellectual ability of the mentally retarded? that is why I just say its not an international name to call these people, and still lots of countries in the special education field call it mentally retarded. I respect your point but that is not international point, that what I mean by mentally retarded