Rosa’s Law

Rosa's Law is a United States law that changed the terminology used in federal law. It replaced references to "mental retardation" with "intellectual disability" and "mentally retarded individual" with "individual with an intellectual disability". This change reflects a broader societal shift towards more respectful and accurate language.1

The term "intellectual disability" is now preferred in medical, educational, and regulatory contexts, as well as in general use. The older terms are increasingly considered offensive. An intellectual disability is defined as an impairment in intellectual ability, typically with an IQ of 70 or below, accompanied by significant limitations in social, practical, and conceptual skills necessary for daily functioning, with an onset before age 18.123