Healthy Athletes

The Healthy Athletes initiative is dedicated to providing health services and education to Special Olympics athletes, and changing the way health systems interact with people with intellectual disabilities. Through free health screenings, training for healthcare professionals, and evaluation of the health status of people with intellectual disabilities, Healthy Athletes has become a powerful public health organization worldwide.

In the workplace, without health, one cannot be productive. In school, without health, one cannot achieve. In sport, without health, one cannot perform. Correcting an athlete’s vision, for example, directly impacts his or her ability to compete in sports and participate in meaningful social interactions, just as providing solutions to chronic dental problems can enhance an athlete’s performance. For these reasons, Healthy Athletes® has continually expanded its offerings and endeavors to:
  • Improve access and health care for Special Olympics athletes through free health-screening clinics;
  • Provide appropriate referrals to local health care providers;
  • Train health care professionals and health professions students about the needs and care of people with intellectual disabilities;
  • Collect, analyze and disseminate data on the health status and needs of people with intellectual disabilities;
  • Advocate for improved health care policies and programs for people with intellectual disabilities;
  • Conduct research and evaluation activities that help define challenges, document program impact and seek better solutions.
The Healthy Athletes Provider Directory is an online database of health care professionals who treat patients with intellectual disabilities. Health care providers can create and maintain a listing in the Provider Directory.

Fun Fitness

Comprehensive, cooperative and educational, FUNfitness is the physical therapy component of Healthy Athletes® that Special Olympics athletes describe as “just plain fun”. Designed to assess and improve an athlete’s flexibility, functional strength, aerobic capacity and balance, volunteer physical therapists, assistants, and students assess the flexibility and functional strength of Special Olympics Athletes’ muscles, as well as overall balance at FUNfitness screenings. The FUNfitness curriculum was developed for Special Olympics Healthy Athletes by the American Physical Therapy Association. Professional volunteers (OTs, PTs, students) interested in assisting at FUNfitness events please contact:

Arkansas Clinical Director
Robin Dyer, M.S., P.T.

Health Promotion

Health Promotion Programs validate the success of the diverse approaches offered, along with positive psychosocial and health benefits:
Improved perceived health;

Reduction in body weight;

  • Improved self-confidence;
  • Enhanced attitudes toward physical activity;
  • Increased fiber intake; and
  • Decreased perceived barriers.
Professional volunteers (RNs, LPNs, Paramedics, nursing students) interested in assisting at Health Promotions events please contact:

Arkansas Clinical Director
Warren Newman

Healthy Hearing

As the audiological component of Healthy Athletes®, Healthy Hearing was created to assess the hearing of athletes using multiple screening methods such as pure tone testing and tympanometry. In some cases, like at the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games, healthy Hearing volunteers are able to provide free hearing aids that immediately restore hearing for athletes, thanks to corporate donations.

Professional volunteers (audiologists, students) interested in assisting at Healthy Hearing events please contact:

Arkansas Clinical Director(s)
Jan Stroud, Au.D, CCC
Gail Weddington, Au.D, CCC

Opening Eyes

With eyes wide open to the needs of people with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics – Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes®, was created to provide free vision screening for Special Olympics athletes.

Opening Eyes also works to educate athletes, parents and coaches about the importance of regular eye care, and enlightens and alters the attitudes of eye care professionals about the vision care needs of people with intellectual disabilities. Professionals can also earn continuing education credits.

Arkansas Clinical Director(s)
 Jason D. Gates, O.D.
 Airiell Schwab, O.D.

Special Smiles

Special Smiles has demonstrated remarkable success in its mission to increase access to dental care gor Special Olympics athletes, and to all people with intellectual disabilities. Today, Special Smiles is concidered a leading advocate on standards for care an equality-of-care issues.

The scope of Special Smiles has been expanded to include:
  • Initiatives to increase public, governmental and professional awareness of oral health problems faces by people with disabilities.
  • Dental education programs for dental professionals, dental schools, community residences, institutional facilities and Special Olympics athletes.
  • Sports injury prevention programs.
  • Nutritional guidelines and programs for our athletes.
  • Research on the oral health needs of people with disabilities, for use in health care reform; and fabrication of adaptive devices and oralfacial sports programs for people with quadriplegia.
Professional volunteers (Dentists, Dental Hygienists, students) interested in assisting with Special Smiles events contact.

Arkansas Clinical Director
Dr. Steven Chason
Special Olympics Arkansas