Intellectual disability has been considered a high incidence disability in special education since the inception of the field in the United States. The purpose of this article is to evaluate current educational programs and practices for students who historically and commonly have been referred to as having mild mental retardation. The article examines mild intellectual disabilities within the context of historical trends, current developments, and future directions in terminology, definition, prevalence, educational environments, and transitional services. Recommendations for educational practices and future research directions are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AbramowiczH. K.RichardsonS. A.Epidemiology of severe mental retardation in children: Community studiesAmerican Journal of Mental Deficiency8018–391975
2.
BenzM. R.LindstromL.YovanoffP.Improving graduation and employment outcomes of students with disabilities: Predictive factors and student perspectivesExceptional Children66509–5292000
3.
BergeronR.FloydR. G.ShandsE. I.States' eligibility guidelines for mental retarda-tion: An update and consideration of part scores and unreliability of IQsEducation and Training in Developmental Disabilities43123–1312008
4.
BouckE. C.Exploring secondary special education for mild mental impairment: A program in search of its placeRemedial and Special Education25367–3822004
5.
BouckE. C.Lost in translation?: Educating secondary students with mild mental impairmentJournal of Disabilities Policies Studies1879–872007
6.
DenningC. B.ChamberlainJ. A.PollowayE. A.An evaluation of state guidelines for mental retardation: Focus on definition and classification practices. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities35226–2322000
7.
DunnL. M.Special education for the mildly retarded: Is much of it justifiable? Exceptional Children355–221968
8.
DunnL. M.DunnL. M.Children with mild general learning disabilitiesExceptional children in the schools: Special education in transitionHolt, Rinehart & WinstonNew York124–1881973nd ed.
9.
EdgarE.Secondary programs in special education: Are many of them justifiable? Exceptional Children53555–5611987
10.
EdgarE.FrankenbergerW. K.Employment as an outcome for mildly handicapped students: Current status and future directionsFocus on Exceptional Children2117–201984Mental Retardation
11.
GreenspanS.SwitzkyH. N.SwitzkyH. N.GreenspanS.Forty-four years of AAMR manualsWhat is mental retardation? Ideas for an evolving disability in the 21 st centuryAAMRWashington, DC3–282006
12.
GrossmanH. J.Classification in mental retardationAmerican Association on Mental DeficiencyWashington DC1983
13.
HartD.ZimbrichK.ParkerD. R.GetzelE. E.WehmanP.Dual enrollment as a postsecondary education option for students with intellectual disabilitiesGoing to college: Expanding opportunities for people with disabilitiesPaul BrookesBaltimore253–2672005
14.
HooverJ. J.PattonJ. R.Curriculum adaptations for students with learning and behavior problemsEDAustin, TX2005
15.
HooverJ. J.PattonJ. R.The role of special educators in a multitiered instructional systemIntervention in School and Clinic43195–2022008
16.
KatsiyannisA.ZhangD.WoodruffN.DixonA.Transition supports to students with mental retardation: An examination of data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities200540109–116
17.
KolstoeO. P.FreyR. M.A high school work study program for mentally subnormal studentsSouthern Illinois University PressCarbondale, IL1965
18.
LuckassonR.Borthwick-DuffyS.BuntinxW. H ECoulterD. L.EllisM.ReeveA.Mental retardation: Definition, classification, and systems of supportAAMRWashington, DC2002th ed
19.
LuckassonR.CoulterD. L.PollowayE. A.ReissS.SchalockR. L.SnellM. E.Mental retardation: Definition, classification, and systems of supportsAAMRWashington DC1992th ed.
20.
MacmillanD. L.Mental retardation over five decades: Lessons we might have learned. Presentation at the Next Generation of Research in Intellectual Disabilities: Charting the Course (A Special Olympics working conference)Miami, FL2007. December
21.
MacmillanD. L.BorthwickS.The new educable mentally retarded population: Can they be mainstreamed? Mental Retardation18155–1581980
22.
MacmillanD. L.SipersteinG. N.LeffertJ. S.SwitzkyH. N.& GreenspanS.Children with mild mental retardation: A challenge for classification practices-revisedWhat is mental retardation? Ideas for an evolving disability in the 21 st centuryAAMRWashington, DC197–2202006
23.
PattonJ. R.KeyesD.Death penalty issues following Atkins. Exceptionality14237–2552006
24.
PollowayE. A.The integration of mildly retarded students in the schools: A historical reviewRemedial and Special Education518–281984
25.
PollowayE. A.Influential persons in the development of the field of special educationRemedial and Special Education21322–3242000
26.
PollowayE. A.HooverJ. J.BUENO Center for Multicultural Education, University of ColoradoPerspectives on mild mental retardation: The status of a category of exceptionalityCurrent issues in special education: Meeting diverse needs in the twenty-first centuryColorado36–462005
27.
PollowayE. A.LubinJ.Feeblemindedness. Encyclopedia of American Disability History2009
28.
PollowayE. A.PattonJ. R.SmithJ. D.AntoineK.LubinJ.State guidelines for mental retardation and intellectual disabilities: A revisitation of previous analyses in light of changes in the fieldEducation and Training in Developmental Disabilities4414–242009
29.
PollowayE. A.SmithJ. D.Mild mental retardation: Population, programs, and perspectivesExceptional Children50149–1591983
30.
Holding truths to be self-evident: Affirming the value of people with intellectual disabilitiesAuthorWashington, DC2007President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
31.
SandiesonR.A survey on terminology that refers to people with mental retardation/developmental disabilities. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities33290–2951998
32.
SchalockR.LuckassonR. A.ShogrenK. A.Borthwick-DuffyS.BradleyV.BuntinxW. H EThe renaming of mental retardation: Understanding the change to the term intellectual disabilityIntellectual and Developmental Disabilities45116–1242007
33.
ShawS.An educational programming framework for students with diverse learning needs: Borderline intellectual functioning. Intervention in School and Clinic43291–2992008
34.
SmithJ. D.SwitzkyH. N.& GreenspanS.Quo vadis mental retardation? Definition by aggregation versus the hope for individual futuresWhat is mental retardation? Ideas for an evolving disability in the 21 st centuryAAMRWashington, DC51–592006
35.
SmithP.Have we made any progress? Including students with intellectual disabilities in regular education classrooms. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities45297–3092007
36.
StantonJ. E.CassidyV. M.Effectiveness of special classes for educable mentally retardedMental Retardation28–131964
37.
TymchukA. J.LakinK. C.LuckassonR.The forgotten generationPaul H. Brookes.Baltimore2001
38.
US Department of Education27th annual report to Congress on the implementation of the individuals with disabilities education actAuthorBaltimore; Washington, DC2001
39.
WagnerM.NewmanL.CametoR.GarzaN.LevineP.After high school: A first look at the post-school experiences of youth with disabilities: A report from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NTLS-2)SRI InternationalMenlo Park, CA2005
40.
WehmeyerM. L.Universal design for learning, access to the general education curriculum, and students with mild mental retardationExceptionality14225–2352006
41.
WilliamsonP.McleskeyJ.HoppeyD.RentzT.Educating students with mental retardation in general education classroomsExceptional Children72347–3612006
