This paper describes and examines the official recommendations of the Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC) concerning the identification of intellectual disability in students. This study was conducted through the analysis of MEC’s legal and normative documents concerning assessment of intellectual disability. First, an analysis protocol was developed to address the following information: document’s name, description and synthesis. The model of the analysis protocol was divided into three themes: definition of intellectual disability condition, assessment of intellectual disability condition, and educational support. The results reveal there is legal uncertainty concerning official guidelines on how to identify students with intellectual disabilities, whose consequences are still unknown.
special education; school inclusion; mental retardation; needs assessment