Another major difference is that students with learning disabilities are supposed to be mainstreamed as much as possible. When I was a child, there was a classroom in the basement for students with learning disabilities, a room that very much looked like it was in the basement. The students were referred to as mentally retarded, although, looking back, I do not think that mental retardation would have been a diagnosis for most of them. I think this is a great improvement in the educational system. Mainstreaming is more work for teachers, to be sure, and sufficient resources are often not available, but given the history of the treatment of those with learning disabilities, this is certainly a great deal better than stuffing children away in the basement.