Contributions of Community Organizations to Personal Outcomes for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Study of Special Olympics Program Participation
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Prohn, Seb M; Dinora, Parthenia; Diggs Brody, Kayla
- Source
- Developmental Disabilities Network Journal
- Subject
- Health Psychology
Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration
Other Public Health
Social Policy
Disability Studies
Health
Community participation
Employment
Special Olympics
- Language
Community organizations can enhance the intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) service system’s ability to improve the health, wellness, and participation of people with I/DD. This study added an item about Special Olympics (SO) participation to the 2019-2020 National Core Indicators In-Person Survey to predict active SO participation and to determine whether personal outcomes differed for SO participants. Results of a multinomial logistic regression showed that people who were younger or who did not require mobility aids were more likely to participate in SO. Compared with people who never or formerly participated in SO, current SO athletes had better personal outcomes. Results provide evidence that alignment between service agencies and community organizations may benefit personal outcomes for people with I/DD.