Since 2024, the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) and other Kennedy Krieger clinical departments and programs have collaborated with Special Olympics Maryland (SOMD) to help implement its Healthy Young Athletes program at two Kennedy Krieger early childhood schools: Southeast Early Head Start and the Early Childhood Development and Education Center at Kennedy Krieger.
The Healthy Young Athletes program supports children ages 2-7, with or without intellectual disabilities, through inclusive developmental skill-building activities that focus on key areas of early development, including social, cognitive, psychological, and physical domains. Students participate in the program for eight weeks in the classroom, at home, and in their communities. SOMD staff members train educators and parents to lead the program during those eight weeks. All training materials are provided at no cost to the school or participating families. The program concludes with a free pediatric screening that serves as an additional review of the child’s health and development.
This program was created in response to Special Olympics health data that people with intellectual disabilities are among the most underserved populations for quality health care and health promotion programs due to a lack of training and accessible medical facilities, resulting in higher rates of preventable disease, chronic pain and suffering, and premature death.
At Kennedy Krieger, our team has successfully integrated Healthy Young Athletes into the school curriculum for three years. At both locations, students participate in the eight-week course. To ensure that families receive information and resources relevant to them, our team created the Family Health Forums. SOMD created a survey inviting parents to suggest topics they want to learn more about. Chris Mason-Hale, the MCDD's community advocate, identifies relevant expert(s) at Kennedy Krieger and invites them to record a short (15-30 minute) video about the requested topics. The video is posted on a YouTube playlist that parents can visit whenever it is convenient for them. To date, our team has covered topics including:
- Circle of Security Parenting
- Individualized Education Program (IEP) & Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) Overview
- Sleep Habit & Sleep Hygiene
- Sleep Hygiene: Common Sleep Problems and Strategies to Help
- Nutrition for the Family
- Nutrition: Diabetes Management
- Nutrition: Diabetes Prevention
- Potty Training
- Supporting Children through Medical Experiences
Managing Parent Stress
The Family Health Forums provide families with the names and faces of experts in the field they can reach out to, in addition to the information our team provides through resource guides and on-site support. Over time, the topics above will be explored in greater depth, and new topics will be added based on demand from parents and educators. The goal is to create an on-demand video library populated with topics specific to the challenges parents face, including their voices in the content creation process.
At the end of the program, we conduct pediatric screening for students at each location. The screening is free and consists of several stations:
- Biometrics: Participants start with vitals such as height, weight, blood pressure, and oxygen levels.
- Developmental Screening: This station helps to identify areas of strength and needed support.
- Physical Exam: Families have a one-on-one visit with a clinician who will review the student’s vitals and developmental screening, evaluate the child, and provide recommendations for supporting their child’s needs.
- Review of Systems and Referrals: Following the physical exam, families receive information, tools, and referrals to local community healthcare providers and related services. Parents can also use the physical exam for school admission and for extracurricular activities such as sports.
The program continues cycling between the two locations every year. Our team recently concluded the program at our Southeast Early Head Start in May 2026 and will begin preparing for the Early Childhood Development and Education Center this fall.
https://media.specialolympics.org/resources/health/disciplines/healthy-young-athletes/Healthy-Young-Athletes-Clinical-Director-Manual.pdf
