>> In an episode of Law and Order from last winter, there is a boy who
>> isn't normal mentally.  The police in private call him retarded.
>> His
>> father calls him slow, and his mother says "Wake up, darling, he is
>> *developmentally delayed*."  She says this with scorn and passion,
>> like it is so much worse than slow,   Actually, it's almost the
>> same
>> as slow.  How come she doesn't notice that?

>> It is the same or almost the same as retarded, and none are really
>> accurate or complete in this case, because he's not merely delayed
>> or
>> progressing at a slow speed (slow, retarded), he's stopped.

>> Ahd the mother says "develpmentally delayed" like it's a mean
>> vulgar
>> phrase, when iiuc it is intended to be the nice phrase.

>> Amazing how people relate to words.

> I'm not familiar with Law and Order but is the mother sneering at
> the
> "political correctness" of "developmentally delayed"?