When you go to a Special Olympics event, there are some participants who talk to themselves, there are some participants who decide they are done and sit right down on the spot, there are some participants who decide to break out in song, there are some participants who spin in circles, there are some participants who hold things for comfort, there are some participants that go around talking to everyone they see, and the list goes on. And there is always a volunteer to support them.
Most of these participants live in a world not made for them. They are constantly learning to function in that world. This takes a lot of work on a daily basis for both them and their caregivers. The Special Olympics and other such events for our kids is a breath of fresh air. Our kids have the opportunity to learn, grow, showcase their talents, all while being exactly who they are. To an outsider looking in, this scene may look strange, but to us it’s downright refreshing. Everyone “gets it.” We get to take a step back, to not always be on guard of where our kids may run off to, when they may shut down, or how they may fall apart. Our kids can be themselves without judgement and without reservation in a world designed for them to do just that.
We 
the Special Olympics!!
#SOMI
Stories of Wil, my son, who has Down syndrome 