What are the reasons for change of terminology for mental retardation

 What are the reasons for change of terminology for mental retardation

What are the reasons for change of terminology for mental retardation? Does it work during process of rehabilitation? In the light of currently used term intellectually disabled, how would you address the problems of adjustment of these individuals? Support your answer with examples

For past 200 years different terminologies including (idiocy) were used to classify mentally disabled people. These terminologies were thought to be inappropriate, thus they kept on changing. Then eventually in 2002 a United States federal statute (public law 111-256, Rosa`s law) changed the terminology mental retardation to intellectual disability. This new terminology seems to be less inappropriate and more suitable, thus all the mental health related organizations changed their names too, like AAMR converted its name to AAIDD (American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities). This whole scenario was based on stigma theory which states that stigma is an attribute or behavior which causes social discrediting. In case of intellectually disabled people, mental retardation was thought to be acting as a stigma.

Rehabilitation is the process of changing someone`s abnormality, irregularity or health to the normal standard of life. It may include the alteration of social, vocational psychological, physiological and anatomical disability or irregularity. This new terminology has helped in numerous varieties of rehabilitation including, medical, social and educational perspectives. Use of this new terminology is an ethical approach to provide proper counselling along with the rehabilitation facilities. Studies show this has improved parental attraction towards rehab centers and impaired people now do not feel more distinguished or discredited. This has encouraged both parents and their intellectually disabled loved ones to reach institutes and get properly facilitated. One of the major aspects is community-based rehabilitation. When the disabled person receives proper treatment instead of inappropriate means of attention through society, he`ll be less discouraged and more confident to be a part of community. We have seen shyness in disabled people, this can also be treated in the same way, by the united behavior of community. People with mild intellectual disability can get little to no medical rehabilitation, indeed educational and occupational rehabilitation becomes necessary. While in case of extreme intellectual disability several types of rehabilitations are necessary like medical rehabilitation, social rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation and linguistic rehabilitation.

This terminology does help in rehabilitation procedures in following means:

  1    It allows to prevent challenges and helps to treat principal, basic ailment.

   2   It allows to treat the powerlessness, and aids encouragement.

 3     It allows to help the patient and his/her family to adapt to changing lifestyle, cultural and environmental aspects.

In the light of currently used terminology we can see effects on social and cultural scales. Affects are clear even on personal level. There is a positive impact in personal adequacy. Personal adequacy involves acceptance of one`s limitations, defects and issues while at the same moment also knowing about the strengths and positive attributes. In case of mentally retarded people personal adequacy is concerned and paid attention to as much as that of their self-esteem, self-respect, self- management and self-care.  We can see impacts on educational level, child is talked to and treated properly. Social adequacy has seen great impacts. Social adequacy is necessary for every stage of intellectually disabled people, ranging from mild to extreme. It means educating child in such a way that he/she can behave and conduct him/herself properly at not only work places but also at home, with fellows and in leisure time. Occupational adequacy becomes necessary to intellectually disabled people with mild to moderate symptoms. This means educating intellectually disabled child in such a way that he/she could get a job opportunity. Social adequacy is necessary along with occupational adequacy, as it is mandatory to educate the intellectually disabled person that how he/she should behave and express him/herself at work place. Positive attributes are first seen in the individuals before starting any criteria. The terminology intellectually disabled might allow to intellectually disable people to become more confident at their work places than they were ever before.

We can take examples, like as I discussed earlier positive attributes are needed to be seen and then carved. We can see if an individual if physically strong or not. If he/she is strong, then he/she can be treated in such a way to perform various strength needed tasks in proper fashion. If and intellectually disable person knows how to sew, he/she can be treated in that particular manner, so he/she could not only be benefited him/herself but also provide benefit to others. We can see examples of intellectually disabled people making sports products in Sialkot. This can only be made possible via proper ethical rehabilitation and adequacy.