Background: Since 2002, the definition of intellectual disability was revised about 10 times. American association of intellectual developmental disabilities (2007) replaced the term of mental retardation with intellectual disability. However, in diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 4th revision the term of mental retardation was used. Therefore, both of them use in Persian and English studies. Today, term of intellectual disability approved by all, including American association of psychiatric (diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th edition) and world health organization (International Classification of Diseases, 11th revision).

Conclusion: This is expected that professions and scientific magazines don’t use the outdated term of mental retardation.