Reading chapter 8 on intellectual disabilities, I found that the field of intellectual disabilities has developed over the years. The terms intellectual disability and mental retardation are used interchangeably. The term “mental retardation” is the federal definition used by IDEA, however many states today do not use the term. Many people don't use the term mental retardation because of its history. Long ago, students who were known to have “mental retardation” were placed in special schools or kept at home. When students with intellectual disabilities entered public schools, they were educated away from general education students in self-contained classrooms. Although today, students with intellectual disabilities are helped more through inclusion with their peers. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the number of students identified as intellectually disabled declined during the 1970s and 1980s. However, this decrease is due to the implementation of other categories for students, such as learning disabilities and autism. Because this is true, ...