Terminology

[steveg]

A friend of mine has just started working for a care provider in the States

The Service she works for uses the term "Developmentally Disabled" and as she puts it "Not PC to use the term retard anymore"

So what do people think of "Developmentally Disabled" as a term?

( i initially find it a little negative, but then does learning disabilities have the same effect?)

And what terms globally have people heard that other countries use?

[bethr]

Personally, as with you i find the term 'developmentally disabled' a little negative too. The other other one i have heard is 'learning difficulties', and i'm not sure that i like that either? Has anyone thought to ask someone who may be labelled with these what they think??!!!

Beth

[forumAdmin]

It is all perception in language - semantics

I (years ago) thought I liked L. Difficulty rather than Disability

seemed to me that a difficulty was not insurmountable but a disability sounds as though it is or at least might be.

I now feel that this was just my perception of the terms.
I also do not like the PC world we live in - too many people get upset by what they perceive is the meaning of what was said rather than what the speaker thought they said in thier perception

-Teaching issue too

[bethr]

An interesting reply FA- Del and i were discussing this today (political correctness), but as you said, it is often in perception. What difficulties have you (and other people) had on teaching courses regarding this?

[forumAdmin]

because language is so geographic and related to generation

it can be a huge isssue so I explain it all in detail on day one and dont have an issue

[timp]

I once heard a nice story about two white people having an earnest discussion about the most politically correct term to use when describing black people; thing is, they were stood right next to a black guy at the time! Finally one of them turned to him and asked what he liked to be called.

His reply?...

..."Robert!"

I think that probably tells us everything we need to know!

[janeth]

Beautifully and succinctly put!!;)

[Hans]

Hi

Working in Denmark we also have discusion about PC words. Right now the word difficulties is not used very much as disability. But things always changes.

For me it is important that the word used gives us and the person involved the right information about the problems or issues that the person have. If we something a dificulty it means that the person is able to e.g. learn, but has difficulties in doing so. The difficulties can have a variation of sources and its up to the person itself and staff members to work with the difficulties or elimante som of the reasons.

If it is called a dissibility it is not possible for the person to learn or to have the ability. This is very important information, because if we know that the person never will be able to learn about e.g. feelings because of a neurological disability, then staff members will not succeed in teaching it in an normal way. It can though be possible for the person to compensate for this deficit but the person will neverlaern in a traditional way.

That brings me back to the right information. It is crucial that we as staff members kbnow this. It will make the understanding of the person better and also help us and the person to realize what kind of work has to be done.

[bethr]

I find this debate very interesting; and i especially like your point Hans.

However, i think that a lot of people will use the terms (especially in LD) learning disability and learning difficulty interchangeably, without thought for what they actually mean. In fact, a full circle to people using things for political correctness rather than for what they might/should mean?

[Hans]

I surely agree with you bethr. Therefore I think that it´s necesary that staff members become more aware of the meaning of the terms than of the political correctness. The problem is just how that can be made possible. Maybe we need a change of paradigm?