February 10, 2010, 15:13
Shannon Edmonds"Mental Retardation" is no more?
Or at least it soon will be. Not the diagnosis, mind you, but the term "mental retardation." The politically-correct term will now be "intellectual disability." Change your pleadings accordingly, I suppose.
What is of real interest, however, is the new definition of mental retard--oops, there I go! make that--intellectual disability being proposed by the APA in the next edition of the DSM-5. Specifically, a decreased focus upon IQ testing. How that will affect
Atkins claims remains to be seen. For more information, read on:
http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=384February 10, 2010, 16:35
GretchenI still need to digest this a bit more, and maybe I'm misunderstanding something, but here's my gut reaction:
quote:
This should be measured with an individualized, standardized, culturally appropriate, psychometrically sound measure.
How can something be both "individualized" and "standardized?" What does "culturally appropriate" mean?
How will it impact Atkins claims? Well, I think the net may be getting a bit wider, but you're right - it remains to be seen how it plays out.
February 11, 2010, 12:05
LHLooks like the standard is just becoming much more subjective. It will be easier to diagnose MR under this standard, but also easier to attack such a diagnosis. In regard to Atkins, it appears that this standard will make these claims even more of a "battle of the experts" than they already are.
February 11, 2010, 14:47
JK McCownCall me intellectually disabled (I think that fits), but why can't people leave the names of stuff (prisons, diseases, streets, countries) the same!
February 11, 2010, 14:54
John A. StrideI still have not got over "community supervision" for "probation." As if the general population cared or needed to care. Since when did we need two words when one sufficed? It really irks me, but I suppose I am intellectually bamboozled too.
February 11, 2010, 15:44
Eric C. CarceranoDoes anyone remember the Tim Kazurinsky sketch from SNL where he played the medical correspondent Dr. Jack Badofsky on Weekend Update? Used to stay things like if you get warts in strange places its called herpes, but if you get it from a convenience store worker its called slurpees.
February 15, 2010, 16:49
jwsIt seems like it would be difficult to prove someone was in the "lower 3%" of his "cultural group." How do we get the data on the other 97%? "Intellectual disability" is such a squishy term. I know several people who are intellectually disabled, but you would not consider to be mentally retarded. I agree that it is an effort to cast a wider net of people who will attempt to avoid responsibility for their crimes.
February 15, 2010, 17:56
DPBOn the other hand, Jane, you get to do an update on your book.
February 16, 2010, 08:46
JK McCownTexas Department of Corrections = Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Institution Division of TDCJ = Correctional Institutions Division
Secretary = Administrative Assistant
You're right, they always add an extra word!