BECOME AN ATHLETE

To become a Special Olympics Arizona athlete and begin the adventure of making friends and learning new skills, follow the steps below!

Step 1:  Submit an Athlete Interest Form OR Find a Local Program and contact your Area Director.

Step 2:  Complete the Athlete Medical & Release forms.
Step 3:   Review the Athlete Code of Conduct.

Who is eligible?
To be eligible to participate in Special Olympics, athletes must:

• Be at least 8 years old (Children ages 2 1/2 to 7 are eligible to participate in the Young Athletes Program).
• Have a current Medical and Consent Form on file.
• Identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: intellectual disability; a cognitive delay as determined by standardized measures such as intelligence quotient or other generally accepted measures; or a closely related development disability, i.e., functional limitations in both general learning and adaptive skills.

What is the definition of intellectual disability?
According to the World Health Organization:

• Intellectual disability is a condition of arrested or incomplete development of the mind characterized by impairment of skills and overall intelligence in areas such as cognition, language, and motor and social abilities.
• Intellectual disability can occur with or without any other physical or mental disorders.
• Although reduced level of intellectual functioning is the characteristic feature of this disorder, the diagnosis is made only if it is associated with a diminished ability to adapt to the daily demands of the normal social environment.

How prevalent are intellectual disabilities?
Intellectual disability knows no boundaries. It cuts across the lines of racial, ethnic, educational, social and economic backgrounds, and it can occur in any family. The following statistics and information on intellectual disabilities have been adapted from information from the Population Reference Bureau, The Arc (formerly the Association for Retarded Citizens), the World Health Organization and various associations for people with disabilities.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 190 million people or three percent of the world's population, have intellectual disabilities - the largest disability population in the world.

For additional information contact: