Did you know we run weekly classes in our studio in Leamington Spa? One of our class participants Emily, has been on a huge journey since she first came through our doors. This is her story, which she wanted to share with you.
Emily was born with Mosaic Syndrome which is a genetic condition characterized by the presence of an extra chromosome. Similar to Down Syndrome it means that Emily has developmental delays which affect her understanding of language and processing. Emily has a great family support network including her little sister Poppy who also attends Motionhouse classes.
When Emily first came to our summer holiday activities, her Mum explained that she had never been to a group where she had felt like she fitted in. We wanted to make sure Emily felt safe, comfortable and able to participate. At the end of the summer school we asked the children for feedback. Emily’s Mum said “this is the first time she had been somewhere and not been bullied”. We of course were so happy to hear that she had had such a positive experience but equally so sad to hear how negative her other experiences have been so far. We encouraged Emily to come to our weekly sessions, and with support from her sister Poppy, Emily started attending weekly classes.
Emily initially started in the Juniors Circus class with her sister Poppy, but we wanted to encourage independence for both children, so Emily moved into Dance for Juniors. Since she joined she has participated weekly and has gone from strength to strength. In May, Emily performed at Stratford Pursuits Festival in front of hundreds (if not 1,000s) of people with her peers. Emily is thriving in dance and is doing everything that all the other children are doing and is firmly a part of the group.
Disability should not be something to hold anyone back from attending classes and we encourage children with special educational needs or disability to come and try out our classes.
Well done Emily. We are so proud of you!
