As you know, families with a family member who has a intellectual disability can provide invaluable support to each other by sharing experiences, frustrations, know-ledge, and joys. There is a common bond among families of people with disabilities. Yet, many times these families are not able to discover this bond because they don’t know where to turn to find other families facing similar situations.Special Olympics has formed the Family Support Network, a network of parents and family members of Special Olympics athletes, who reach out to new families to welcome them into the Special Olympics community. The Family Support Network objectives – to support families, to develop partnerships with community organizations, to train new Family Leaders – all contribute to Special Olympics’ primary goal of increasing the number of athletes participating in the movement worldwide. However, we believe that the Family Support Network will create a community for families to share their resources, challenges, and successes.The Family Support Network is based on the premise that the family members of present and future Special Olympics athletes are valuable and have an important role to play in Special Olympics outreach.Through the Family Support Network opportunities are created for family members to:

• Become advocates for the Special Olympics movement;
• Share ideas, issues, and common interests;
• Volunteer in their loved one’s athletic training; and
• Encourage other families who can benefit from Special Olympics to join.

If you would like to become part of Special Olympics Oklahoma’s Family Support Network please contact us via phone/e-mail. 918-481-1234 or info@sook.org