But if you were different, mentally challenged, you would have been given the job title of court jester or village idiot. Society makes fun of people with intellectual disabilities because they are different from the norm, but that's not the worst part. Carter and VanAndel (2011), leading professionals in the field of therapeutic recreation, explain the appalling treatment of people with intellectual disabilities in the Middle Ages. These individuals were locked in dark, dank cells within the dungeon walls, hidden from society (p. 29), while tethered to the wall like a wild animal. Even though times were primitive, little consideration or medical care was given to the mentally disabled. The French doctor Philippe Pinel (1745-1826) did not like the treatment received by mentally ill people and therefore decided to defend their interests. He believed that all individuals had the right to live as productive members of society. Carter and VanAndel highlight how Pinel ventured to change the living conditions of people with intellectual disabilities. (p. 30) Unfortunately, in the Victorian era, society believed that demonic possession was the cause of mental illness. In some cases, individuals have been killed during an exorcism process. Many years later, people with intellectual disabilities were incarcerated with murderers and thieves. They were treated like common criminals simply because they were different. Later, they were separated from society and institutionalized. (Carter & VanAndel, 2011, p. 31) Over the years, the treatment of people with intellectual disabilities has changed. Today, in certain regions, the mentally handicapped are still isolated; however, the stigma is still present. They attend schools specially designed to meet their needs and teachers trained to educate people with disabilities. Living conditions have also