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Healthy Communities Webinars

July 2024

Healthy Communities Global Webinar 9 July 2024 • Topic: Single Health Evaluation (SHE) Reports
Reminders and helpful practices for completing the Single Health Evaluation in Qualtrics.Slides (PDF)
Health Disciplines

MedFest (General Medicine)

Corporate and Commercial Photographer for Worldwide Assignments
MedFest was created to offer the physical exam that all athletes need prior to participating in Special Olympics sports programming. It is sometimes the first exposure these athletes have to medical care. For some Special Olympics athletes, life-threatening conditions have been identified through MedFest and subsequently treated through referral and connection to community-based care. Led by volunteer physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and medical students, the MedFest screening consists of the following stations: medical history, height and weight, blood pressure, cardiology test, musculoskeletal test, orthopedic tests, abdominal evaluation, and a check out station.

For further information or general inquiries related to this discipline, please contact us at medfest@specialolympics.org. SO Program staff and established Clinical Directors are encouraged to submit their questions through our online form available here.
Health Disciplines

Special Smiles® (Dentistry)

Female athlete dressed in green laying back and a dentist examines her teeth.
The Special Smiles® discipline of Healthy Athletes provides comprehensive oral health care information, including free dental screenings and instructions on correct brushing and flossing techniques to Special Olympics athletes. Volunteer dental health professionals and students perform oral health screenings, oral hygiene instruction, mouthguard adaptation, and apply fluoride varnish for athletes participating in the screening. Special Smiles has demonstrated remarkable success in creating awareness and improving access to dental care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

For further information or general inquiries related to this discipline, please contact us at specialsmiles@specialolympics.org. SO Program staff and established Clinical Directors are encouraged to submit their questions through our online form available here.
Health Disciplines

Health Promotion (Preventative Medicine)

Health Athlete System
Health Promotion, a discipline of Special Olympics Healthy Athletes, focuses on healthy living, healthy lifestyle choices, and nation-specific health issues. In addition to health education activities, Health Promotion offers screenings for bone density, blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI). Its goals include encouraging and enhancing healthy behaviors and improving self-efficacy and self-advocacy.

For further information or general inquiries related to this discipline, please contact us at healthpromotion@specialolympics.org. SO Program staff and established Clinical Directors are encouraged to submit their questions through our online form available here.
Health Disciplines

Strong Minds (Mental Health)

Group of people in a gymnasium practicing yoga.
Strong Minds is an interactive learning activity focused on developing adaptive coping skills. Competition provides a natural opportunity to develop active strategies for maintaining emotional wellness under stress, such as thinking positive thoughts, releasing stress, and connecting with others. Strong Minds is currently being further developed to include formal mental health screening measures (i.e., CORE-LD30 and WEMWBS-ID) to identify athletes at-risk for mental health concerns. Screening results will inform a more robust referral system to connect these athletes with community-based healthcare professionals.

For further information or general inquiries related to this discipline, please contact us at strongminds@specialolympics.org. SO Program staff and established Clinical Directors are encouraged to submit their questions through our online form available here.
Health Disciplines

FUNfitness (Physiotherapy) 

athlete laying on his back with his legs elevated reaching to touch his toes; two volunteers observe and encourage him.
FUNfitness is a physiotherapy (physical therapy) screening that examines the flexibility, strength, balance , and aerobic fitness of Special Olympics athletes and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Dysfunction in any of these areas can result in pain, discomfort, and sub-optimal activity performance in sports and everyday life. During these screenings, physiotherapists, students, and other related health professionals, identify areas of concern in the above areas to offer education and expert guidance on suggested follow-up care including exercise recommendations, sport-specific training tips, and when appropriate, referral recommendations.

For further information or general inquiries related to this discipline, please contact us at funfitness@specialolympics.org. SO Program staff and established Clinical Directors are encouraged to submit their questions through our online form available here.
Health Disciplines

Fit Feet (Podiatry) 

Adult male receiving a foot examination from a female volunteer; another volunteer takes notes and observes.
A discipline of Healthy Athletes, Fit Feet is a podiatric screening for Special Olympics athletes and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) that focuses on athletes’ ankle & foot health, lower extremity biomechanics, as well as footwear fit and condition. Many Special Olympics athletes are wearing the wrong size or type of shoes while competing, which can contribute to or worsen the presence of foot and ankle pain and dysfunction. Together, these issues can negatively impact an athletes’ navigation of everyday life and sport performance. During Fit Feet screenings, volunteer foot care specialists & students work with athletes to identify areas of concern. Using the results of the screening, volunteers provide athletes, coaches, families, and caregivers education on proper foot care and health to maximize the athlete’s ability to step lively onto the playing field of everyday life.

For further information or general inquiries related to this discipline, please contact us at fitfeet@specialolympics.org. SO Program staff and established Clinical Directors are encouraged to submit their questions through our online form available here.
Health Disciplines

Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Foundation Opening Eyes® (Vision Care)

Opening Eyes - Eye Exam.jpg
A discipline of Healthy Athletes, the Lions Clubs International Foundation Opening Eyes® program provides non–dilated vision screenings, refractions, and fabrication of prescription eyewear to Special Olympic athletes. Opening Eyes strives to positively impact the attitudes of the optometrists, ophthalmologist, opticians, eye care professionals, along with optometry students and ophthalmology residents, who volunteer to care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Opening Eyes Clinical Volunteers serve to educate the athletes, their guardians, and coaches about the importance of vision in performance in sports, school, and work. Through generous donations from our corporate sponsors, Safilo who provides frames, and OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation who provides lenses, athletes will receive appropriate eyewear at the culmination of the screening.

The Opening Eyes screening does NOT replace a comprehensive eye exam, which includes dilation. Unified partners are not eligible to receive eyewear. Athletes, Unified partners, coaches, and guardians should be aware of this when present at the screening.

For further information or general inquiries related to this discipline, please contact us at openingeyes@specialolympics.org. SO Program staff and established Clinical Directors are encouraged to submit their questions through our online form available here.

NFL x Special Olympics Unified Flag Football

NFL Play: 60 and Special Olympics Logo lockup
Since 2017, the NFL and Special Olympics have had an official partnership together that provides opportunities for athletes of all ages and abilities to “PLAY 60” through Unified flag football. NFL PLAY 60 is the League’s national youth health and wellness platform.
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