Special Olympics is not the same as the Paralympics

Many people confuse Special Olympics with the Paralympics, but we are in fact very different.

• Special Olympics is only for people with an intellectual disability. The Paralympics is mainly for athletes with physical disabilities.

• Special Olympics welcomes all participants regardless of their skill level. The Paralympics is for elite athletes only.

• Special Olympics provides year-round training and competition and we give athletes the chance to compete at local, regional, state, national and international competition. The Paralympics holds one international competition every four years.

• Special Olympics is the only organisation allowed by the International Olympic Committee to use the word "Olympics".

For more information see Special Olympics and the Olympic Movement.

We're also different from other Sports Organisations

Special Olympics differs from many sports organisations in a few ways:

• Special Olympics offers a variety of sports.
• During competition athletes are grouped by ability to provide fair competition. This is called divisioning.
• During competition all athletes receive an award to recognise their achievement.
• Athletes advance to higher levels of competition based on participation and achievement, not the fastest times or best results.