to find it sick that someone would use the word,,,,,,,,,,

[2shoesmum]

retard on mn???

I wasn't doubting you just not somoething I have come across
whereas I do think retard is pretty much in the national consciousness- along with mongol, etc etc etc

So when the kid at kindy calls ds (4) a moron - it's actually a compliment for the next 4 years.

Oh I know you weren't doubting me, but you not having heard the original meaning before just proved my point.

Some words have fallen out of use more though, I would have thought mongol would be one of them.

I pulled up some 10 yr olds at school last week for calling someone a spaz. I asked them if they knew what it meant. None of them knew, they just though it was a handy insult! I explained it to them, they apologised. I found out a couple of days later that a group of them had then decided to stand up in class and tell their friends. It is now a 'way uncool word' at school.

Not one of those kids had ever heard the word spastic used in a medical capacity.

good god I never realised that having an epi was related to epilepsy. not heard that phrase for over ten years though, fortunately. I agree use of the word "retard" as a generic insult is a bit grim.

When I was at school (not that long ago- though if you swa my style thread youd think it LOL) Mongol was a topic used in a mock practice paper in child development

Yep, in my day too Peachy but I think it has fallen out of use since then

I'm 33

do you hear me? all of you????? 33

not bloody

44

(sorry)

The zimmer was for me, just fell over the hill last week and still feeling bruised.

I hate that word with a passion. My SIL is the nicest sweetist person you could meet but she uses that word when is messing about with bil and I really find it offensive.

first time I haeard the word epi was my hairdresser. I just stood there shocked. couldn't say anything as she was about to cut my hair.

A child on the bus the other day was watching my son tic, (for those of you who dont know he has tourettes) nothing wild just a little tic.
She pointed him out to her mother who said ( and i kid you not) oh i think hes a bit retarded .
I would like to point out he has a reading age of 15, a spelling age of 14, and can do math in his head i cant do on the calculater. He is 10.

Well to say i let rip would be a tad of an understatment. It took every ounce of self restriant not to smack her one ( i know i know)
DS1 deals with it much better then i do he just says "do you want to ask me something?

My son and dd1 both have spastic diplegia CP, and I also hate the word spaz and retard. One child at Ds' school, after he had only been at the school 2 days!! actually called my son a 'spastic' which shocked me and reduced me to tears.
DH's niece is 18 and when she came to visit us she called herself a 'spaz' at which I pulled her up on it.

My DD has Sotos (and one of the 'symptons' - can't think of right word - is global developmental delay).

I have joined a Yahoo website (which is very informative although can be a bit over the top) but I have noticed that the Americans (no disrespect meant here) is that to get the help and support their child needs they have so say that their child is retarded neurologically.

I would NEVER say that my child is retarded, to me it is a derogatory term and I think 'global developmental delay' is a much nicer way of saying it.

Okay, by saying delay I am saying that my child will catch up, but actually I can say that she is catching up (albeit in her own terms).

I like to explain my DD condition as being on the bus behind everyone elses - her bus is running a little bit late. It will still arrive (get there) wherever 'there' may be, walking, talking, etc. and it will be in her own time.

If anyone I know mentioned 'retard' or 'retarded' (whether relating to my DD or not), I would be very offended.

The only time I have heard it is from USA. I was even watching ER last night (feel asleep on the settee and woke up about 1 am!) and ER was on (More 4). They were treating a boy aged 6 with Trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome) and they said it is very rare for a child of 6 to still be alive with Edwards Syndrome and that he was a 'retard'.

Made me go and give my DD an extra hug before I went to bed as no way do I think of her as 'retarded' and would be very offended if someone used this term.

Ignorance!

Bumblelion i love the bus thing. I thing that is a lovely way to put it.
and fio you made me pmsl about a dickhead

i too hate the word retard, i heard a mum at the school gates shout accross to her mate oy Retard, she was spoken to very swiftly by my sons very lovely TA.
incidently my twin girls were 9 years ago DX with mental retardation it was also said that they suffer from autism

Imo I don't think it is ever acceptable to use the word retard. Many mumsnetters have voiced their objection with this phase in the past and others should be respectful of their feelings imo.

Custy - special needs section did not segregrate itself, mumsnet suggested it could be accessed by simply clicking on inc SN's and the majority of people thought this was a good idea. If some people can't be arsed to simply put a tick in a box on the top of the page just once and forever have SN's come up in active convo's well then so be it.

I did not know you had to put a tick in the box to have the special needs threads, i have now done this, shows how much i look at the top of mn.

Really bizarre zombie thread to bring up. What were you even searching for to find it?

How sad is your life?