Young Athletes introduces children with intellectual disabilities and their families to the world of Special Olympics by pursing the following goals:
- Engage children with intellectual disabilities through developmentally appropriate play activities designed to foster physical, cognitive, and social development;
- Welcome family members of children with intellectual disabilities to the Special Olympics network of support;
- Raise awareness about the abilities of children with intellectual disabilities through inclusive peer participation, demonstrations and other events
Young Athletes is a versatile program that can work in various learning situations. The program is designed for families to play with their young athletes at home in a fun atmosphere. It is also appropriate for preschools, schools and playgroups to use with small groups of young children with and without intellectual disabilities. The flexibility of Young Athletes ensures the opportunity to welcome families and their young children into the Special Olympics family.
The Young Athletes program includes several resources to guide family members, educators and other professionals as they conduct Young Athletes activities with their children, brothers, sisters, cousins, grandchildren, students or parents.
- Young Athletes Activities Guide - descriptions of the official Young Athletes activities;
- Training DVD - instructional video of children performing the Young Athletes activities;
- Young Athletes Equipment Kit - equipment needed to perform the activities;
- Visit Special Olympics, Inc. - further resources, materials and information.
The Young Athletes program currently has three pilot sites around the state with hopes to have two additional sites by the end of the 2008 year.
- Old National Trail Pre-School - Putnam County
- Wilson Middle School - Montgomery County
- Rise Learning Center - Marion County
If you would like to learn more about the Young Athletes(TM) program, please contact Pam Eakin at (800) 742-0612.