Voluntary Work

Since my last post I have started volunteering for Mencap which is the charity whose aim is to support children and adults with learning disabilities. I have spent three afternoons there now, playing with the children I have been assigned to. It has been amazing fun and really rewarding knowing that my presence has made the child happier, even if it does mean being thrown into the ball pit countless times!

I've also found it very interesting. I didn't realise just how unique every mental disability is and how much of a challenge it would be to connect with each one of them on a level that they would understand. However it's a challenge that I have relished and I am definitely getting better at it each time I go, which makes it even more fun.

One particular mental disability I've come across which has sparked an interest is Down's syndrome, so I decided to do a bit of research. I found out that it's a chromosomal disorder where instead of the normal two copies of chromosome 21 there are three.This gives rise to the physical features that we all recognise, but also in about 40% of cases there is an an associated heart defect as well as some having associated eye and ear defects too. Unsurprisingly to me, there is a very wide range of cognitive disabilities. This makes sense with what I've come across as some people I've met with Down's syndrome have very obvious mental disabilities whereas with others it is a lot less noticeable. That's interesting seeing as the problem stems from exactly the same thing. It's also interesting that environment and education can have a significant effect on the development of a child with Down's syndrome despite the problem being genetic.

The website for the amazing charity I volunteer for: http://www.mencap.org.uk/