ABSTRACT
According to Schalock et al. (2010), an intellectual disability is “characterized by signifi cant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills. This disability originates before the age of 18” (Schalock
et al., 2010, p. 1). Prior to the use of this term, people with intellectual disability were referred to with the disability label of “mental retardation.” Some national and international professional and advocacy organizations have begun to eliminate the term mental retardation from their names, publications, and writings since it is so frequently used in the mainstream as pejorative. Some state agencies have also made attempts to reduce or eliminate the use of the words “mental retardation” from their names and mission statements; however, its removal varies greatly from state to state (Polloway et al., 2010). In 2010, Rosa’s Law was passed in the United States that changed language in Federal law as well, replacing the term mental retardation with the term intellectual disability in federal legislation such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA), the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
