The More Things Change, the More They Are the Same: Continuing Concerns With the Special Olympics

The Special Olympics has been a controversial pro-gram for persons with severe disabilities. There have been numerous discussion articles in the literature concerning pros and cons of the Special Olympics, and research has often found negative results concerning the Special Olym-pics. The purpose of this article is to review and to discuss concerns regarding the Special Olympics as well as to sug-gest future directions for recreational services for individ-uals with severe disabilities. DESCRIPTORS: inclusion, integration, recreational services, best practices, intellectual disabilities Despite decades of research, advocacy, and program development, most adults with severe disabilities live lives of segregation. This segregation is across the board in work, community, and recreational settings. Perhaps mos