That's how it has been for me. My relative's job sometimes deals with tards, so another family member started chiding everyone about using the term. Knee-jerk response was saying "Well, that's retarded". A couple decades ago, there'd be a case for not using it as a pejorative, because it was a clinical term referring to people below a certain IQ. But then we found out an entire continent was retarded on average, so we had to scratch the word. Now it's "developmentally challenged" for anyone clearing exhibiting symptoms, and "troubled yoof" for anyone who is genetically/racially incapable of pouring piss out of a boot.