Health Promotion Across the Life Span for Special Olympics Athletes.

This article focuses on Special Olympics' life span approach to health promotion for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), emphasizing two core preventive interventions: Young Athletes (YA) and structured fitness programming. YA targets children aged 2–7 years to develop foundational motor skills through play-based activities, while fitness programs support youths and adults with IDD in adopting healthy behaviors related to physical activity, nutrition, and hydration. Evaluations across diverse global contexts demonstrate improvements in motor development, cardiovascular health, and health behaviors, highlighting the scalability and adaptability of these low-cost interventions. The programs' integration into community, educational, and health systems, along with sustainability strategies such as partnerships and digital tools, positions them as replicable models for inclusive public health efforts worldwide.