Intellectual Disability

A person is considered to have an intellectual disability for purposes of determining his or her eligibility to participate in Special Olympics if that person satisfies any one of the following requirements:

• The person has been identified by an agency or professional as having an intellectual disability for the purposes as determined by their localities; or
• The person has a cognitive delay, as determined by standardized measures such as intelligent quotient or “IQ” testing or other measures that are generally accepted within the professional community in that Accredited Program’s nation as being a reliable measurement of the existence of a cognitive delay; or
• The person has a closely related developmental disability. A “closely related developmental disability” means having functioning limitations in both general learnings (such as IQ) and in adaptive skills (such as recreation, work, independent living, self-direction, or self-care).

However, persons whose functioning limitations are based solely on a physical, behavioral, emotional disability or a specific learning disability or sensory disability, are not eligible to participate as Special Olympics athletes but may be eligible to volunteer, such as a Unified Partner.