I have already blogged (here) about the changes coming in the new Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) in May 2013. Congress, always trying to join the "popular" club and somehow redeem themselves, has also jumped on the bandwagon. The American Psychological Association has not endorsed the new bill trying to make it out of committee, but they are also not opposing it. The new bill would change all federal references to "mental retardation" and "mentally retarded individuals," to "intellectual disabilities" and "individual with an intellectual disability." The bill is also known as Rosa's Law, named after Rosa Marcellino of Maryland who has Down Syndrome. Rosa's family successfully lobbied the legislature in Maryland to change the wording at the state level and the crusade was picked up by the national legislature.
I don't see anything wrong with the name changes and just want to keep you up to date on the current proceedings. Society will probably insist on changing the name again in the future as "intellectual disabilities" becomes a "bad" word or phrase. I think that we must continue to strive against ignorant people and people who don't think before they speak. There will always be these people in the world, but it is really their actions and not their words that we should pay attention to.
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