Introduction to Intellectual Disability
Analicia Delgado
Grand Canyon University: SPE 351
December 22, 2012

Introduction to Intellectual Disability
For the purposes of this assignment, I interviewed Mr. Eduardo Villalobos, a special education teacher and Mr. Agustin Luna, a regular education instructor. Both of these teachers are co-workers of mine at Cigarroa High School in Laredo, TX. Mr. Villalobos is completing his fifth year teaching and worked as a paraprofessional for eight years prior to becoming a certified teacher. Mr. Luna is a veteran teacher with over thirty-five years of experience at the middle and high school levels.
I first sat down with Mr. Eduardo Villalobos to discuss the issues related to this assignment. Mr. Villalobos is a Functional Living Skills (FLS) teacher for grades 9-12th. We began with a discussion about the various terms associated with students with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). He explained that in the past mental retardation was the accepted term for students with mild to severe intellectual deficiencies and lack of adaptive behaviors. He continued to explain that now the term mental retardation is considered a taboo word and no longer acceptable among reputable professionals in related fields. Regarding laws protecting students with ID, Mr. Villalobos advised me that legislation over the years has evolved to provide students with a much more inclusive environment that seeks to provide this population with as many opportunities as those students in general education programs. He advised me that this is accomplished through allowing ID students to participate in mainstream classes when appropriate. Mr. Villalobos stressed the importance of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), explaining how this keystone piece of legislation mandated that all students have access to a free and appropriate