Everyone needs to spend time having fun, relaxing with family and friends, and participating in leisure time activities. Sometimes teens with special health care needs are challenged to find ways to participate in these activities. The following websites are provided to provide ideas and not to promote a particular activity. Teens are encouraged to participate in home, school, and community activities according to their interests and abilities.

Disabled Sports USA (DS/USA) -- This non-profit organization offers nationwide sports rehabilitation programs to anyone with a permanent physical disability. Activities include winter skiing, water sports, summer and winter competitions, fitness and special sports events. Participants include those with visual impairments, amputations, spinal cord injury, dwarfism, multiple sclerosis, head injury, cerebral palsy, and other neuromuscular and orthopedic conditions. DS/USA sanctions and conducts competitions and training camps to prepare and select athletes to represent the United States at the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. The Paralympic Games are the Olympic equivalent competitions for individuals with disabilities and are recognized by the International Olympic Committee. For those who want to achieve their highest potential, opportunities are available for national and international competitions in alpine and nordic skiing, track and field, volleyball, swimming, cycling, powerlifting, and other sports. The highest achieving athletes in each sport can qualify for the Paralympics. The website includes links for other disability related sports and recreation links. The website is: http://www.dsusa.org/index.html

Palaestra -- a quarterly publication and premier resource on adapted physical
activity, PALAESTRA's mission is to enlighten parents in all aspects of physical activity, making them the best advocates for their children during IEP (Individual Education Program) discussions with school or community recreation staffs;
to increase the knowledge base of professionals working with children or adults with disabilities, making them aware of the can do possibilities of their students/clients; to show the value physical activity holds for adult readers' increased wellness.  The website is: http://www.palaestra.com/

Winners on Wheels (WOW) -- WOW empowers kids in wheelchairs by encouraging personal achievement through creative learning and expanded life experiences that lead to independent living skills. WOW's mission is to provide an innovative learning environment that promotes academic, social, and emotional development so children in wheelchairs can gain life skill and experiences that will launch them toward productive, independent, and enjoyable lives. There are WOW Circles (groups) that meet regularly and are listed for Jacksonville, Panama City, Orlando, and Palm Beach.
The website is: http://www.wowusa.com/

Special Olympics -- Special Olympics is an international organization dedicated to empowering individuals with mental retardation to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Special Olympics offers children and adults with mental retardation year-round training and competition in 26 Olympic-type summer and winter activities. To be eligible to participate in Special Olympics, you must be at least eight years old and identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: mental retardation, cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay that require or have required specially designed instruction. It does not cost anything to participate. The website is: http://www.specialolympics.org/
Special+Olympics+Public+Website/default.htm

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