Mission Statement:

Our program promotes better health outcomes for children with disabilities through exercise and strong community support.

Situation Statement
According to the ​Center on Health Promotion Research for Persons with Disabilities​, 17.3% of youth with physical and cognitive disabilities are
overweight, while only 13.0% of their peers without physical or cognitive disabilities are considered overweight (Rimmer, 2011). In the Polk County
community, there are many programs that provide opportunities for youth to be physically active, but few are fully inclusive to children with physical
and cognitive disabilities. Our program strives to achieve better health outcomes for youth with developmental disabilities in the Polk County
community through weekly activity classes, thus providing them with an opportunity to be physically active and develop positive peer relationships.

Evaluation:
-Analyze weight loss results monthly
-Record attendance rates over time
-Observe interactions between youth to measure sense of community
-Measure client satisfaction through parent feedback

Sources:
Logic Models. (n.d.). Retrieved from ​http://fyi.uwex.edu/programdevelopment/logic-models/

Rimmer, J. H., Yamaki, K., Davis, B. M., Wang, E., & Vogel, L. C. (2011, March). Obesity and overweight prevalence among adolescents with
disabilities. Retrieved from ​https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3073434/

Helpful sources:
Murphy, N. A., & Carbone, P. S. (2008). Promoting the participation of children with disabilities in sports, recreation, and physical activities. Pediatrics,
121(5), 1057-1061.

Dykens, E. M., Rosner, B. A., & Butterbaugh, G. (1998). Exercise and sports in children and adolescents with developmental disabilities: positive
physical and psychosocial effects. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America, 7(4), 757-771.
Rimmer, J. H., Rowland, J. L., & Yamaki, K. (2007). Obesity and secondary conditions in adolescents with disabilities: addressing the needs of an
underserved population. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41(3), 224-229.