Review And Reflection: The Development Course Of Special Olympics Movement

Special Olympics Movement dated from 60's of 20th century, and now it is an international movement of year-round sports training and athletic competition for people with intellectual disabilities. The goal of Special Olympics is to help people with intellectual disabilities, and bring them all into the larger society under conditions whereby they are accepted, respected and given a chance to become productive citizens. Today there are more than 180 members of Special Olympics International. Special Olympics China was set up in 1985, and it provides the year-round Special Olympics for intellectual disabilities of China. In 2007, Shanghai hosted the 12th World Summer Special Olympics Games and got great success, from then on the development of Special Olympics in China has been in a new age. So it is an unavoidable question to comprehensively study the development course of the Special Olympics.By the method of documents, the paper reviews the development course of the Special Olympics and systematically studies its formation,development and evolution; Meanwhile it analyses the system of the Special Olympics, discusses the problems during the development of the Special Olympics and so on. The paper mainly contains as follows:First part, the system of Special Olympics is made up of organization, philosophies and activities. The organization of the Special Olympics contains Special Olympics International and National Special Olympics. Its philosophies include Beliefs, Mission, Aims, Spirit of Special Olympics and Athlete's Oath. All Special Olympics activities: Special Olympics Games, Special Olympics Initiatives and year-round training.The second part is about the development course of the Special Olympics. According to the history of Special Olympics and its milestones, the history can be divided into: period of formation,period of gradually developing, and period of flourishing.The third part is about the meanings of the Special Olympics. Through sport training and competition, people with intellectual disabilities benefit mentally, socially and spiritually, promoted to intellectual disabilities be accepted and be unified. It helps people enhance cognition of intellectual disabilities, and eliminating negative attitudes and discrimination, and promoting the level of social equality. Besides, it encourages people to help and take care of intellectual disabilities, and developing the welfare services. By improving the stadium and facilities, and promotes the development of RE. cause for the disabled.Fourthly, there are three main problems during the development of the Special Olympics: the cunent conditions of the intellectual disabilities, lack of money for training and athletic competitions, safety problems. Enlarging and propagating the education of Special Olympics knowledge, extending streams for funds, improving the level of administration and developing partnerships with other organizations will be available for the Special Olympics.