The term mental retardation was supposed to be an improvement. But the fight over language keeps going on. That becomes clear if you ask those with mental retardation what they think about that description."Poster Child" Emily Rapp about her life and her book, Poster Child: A Memoir
"I hate that word — mental retardation," says Thelma Greene of Washington, D.C. "I wish they would change that one, because it sounds so institutional, like you can't do nothing for yourself and you're depending on somebody else to do everything, from putting on all your clothes down to your shoes. And that's not right."
"Retardation is not the good word," Anthony Vessels, also of Washington, says in agreement.
"I never did like that word 'retardation' or 'mental retardation,' adds Victor Robinson. "Because everyone has called people names about that. And no, none of my friends did like that name or any other name, being called 'stupid, dumb.' And it hurts a person very much."
A look at an autistic savant's brilliant mind from Talk of the Nation, about Daniel Tammet's memoir Born on a Blue Day.
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