As I read Chapter 8 on Intellectual Disability, I noticed that the field of Intellectual Disability has grown over the years. The terms intellectual disability and mental retardation are used interchangeably. The term "mental retardation" is the federal definition used by IDEA, but many states do not use this term today. Many people don't use the term mental retardation because of its history. Long ago, students known to be “mentally retarded” were placed in special schools or kept at home. When students with intellectual disabilities entered public schools, they were taught separately from general education students, in self-contained classes. Although today, students with intellectual disabilities benefit more from an inclusive setting with their peers. The number of students identified as intellectually disabled fell during the 1970s and 1980s, according to the U.S. Department of Education. However, this decrease was due to the implementation of other categories for students, such as learning disabilities and autism. Because it's true, ...