Accessible, engaging, and filled with contributions by the country's most celebrated disability experts, this fascinating volume skillfully captures how intellectual disability has been understood from prehistoric times to present. Readers will discover how different societies have responded to people with disability throughout history, how life has changed for people with intellectual disability and their families over the centuries, and how key historical figures and events sparked social change and shaped our modern understanding of intellectual disability. Enhanced with remarkable images and illustrations, including exclusive photos from the editor's private collection of cultural artifacts, this informal history is a must-read for anyone devoted to improving the lives of people with intellectual disability.

• Early ideas about the causes of intellectual disability
• Evolution of the concept of intellectual disability
• The role of religion in the ancient world's understanding of disability
• Changing approaches to education and intervention
• The rise and fall of the institution system
• Depictions of intellectual disability in film, literature, and art
• State-sanctioned sterilization programs in the twentieth century
• The self-advocacy movement
• The emergence and impact of parent associations, support groups, and training programs
• How and why terminology changed throughout the years
• and more