05/28/2026
There is something interesting about the way we talk when people with intellectual disabilities express emotions that make us uncomfortable. Anger becomes “distress.” Frustration becomes “an escalation.” We soften the language until the emotion itself almost disappears. But being angry is not a symptom. Sometimes it is simply a human response to being ignored, controlled, embarrassed, or treated unfairly.
Professionalism shold not become distance. The more passive and clinical our language becomes, the easier it is to forget that we are talking about a person having a real emotional experience. People with intellectual disabilities do not stop being human when their emotions become inconvenient for the people around them.
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ID: Text at the top of image reads: If people with intellectual disabilities express real emotions, don't hide behind passive language. Drawing shows a professional-looking person is talking to a support worker. The speech bubble reads: “She became distressed.”Person with an intellectual disability with a thought bubble: “I was angry.”
