Yes, you can have Williams syndrome (WS) without knowing, as many symptoms aren't obvious at birth, leading to late diagnosis or even missed diagnoses, especially if facial features and developmental delays aren't recognized early, emphasizing the need for genetic testing when issues like heart problems, feeding difficulties, or unique social behaviors appear.
Williams syndrome often goes undiagnosed.
People with WS were delayed in comprehending basic emotions of anger and surprise. Deviant replacement patterns of basic emotions in people with WS were observed. Deficient emotion knowledge may be a cause of atypical social cognition.
Most people with Williams syndrome have a normal life expectancy, but some may have a reduced life expectancy due to complications of the disease (such as cardiovascular problems). Oftentimes, people with Williams syndrome will need additional support as they grow into adults.
The characteristic facial features of WS include puffiness around the eyes, a short nose with a broad nasal tip, wide mouth, full cheeks, full lips, and a small chin.
In most cases, doctors first consider Williams syndrome if a child has a developmental delay, teeth problems, or other symptoms around age 2. They'll do an exam and ask for an evaluation by a genetics specialist along with genetic testing.
Common issues include: reflux, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and dysmotility. Less common but significant issues include diverticulitis (at much younger age than is common in the general population)celiac disease, and gluten intolerance.
One notable person with the syndrome is Gabrielle Marion-Rivard, a Canadian actress and singer who won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress in 2014 for her performance in the film Gabrielle. Another is Jeremy Vest, member of the How's Your News? team, featured in the US TV series and film of the same name.
Most individuals with Williams syndrome have a degree of intellectual disability, ranging from mild to severe. Research studies have suggested that IQ scores for children with Williams syndrome range from 40 to 112, with a mean IQ score of 68 which equates to a mild intellectual disability (average IQ is 100).
This excessive gregariousness may be a window into the science of sociability. According to a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience earlier this year, people with Williams syndrome have brains that are especially attuned to happy facial expressions and not so much to fearful ones.
Affected individuals have outgoing, engaging personalities and tend to take an extreme interest in other people. Attention deficit disorder (ADD), problems with anxiety, and phobias are common among people with this disorder.
Several studies have examined aggression in Williams syndrome and a review of aggression is far less common in Williams syndrome (6-15%) compared to other syndromes such as Smith-Magenis, Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes, who all have rates over 70%.
It can affect many parts of the body, including the heart and blood vessels. Children who have Williams syndrome often have mild-to-moderate intellectual disability, distinctive facial features, and certain behavioral characteristics such as an outgoing personality.
Williams syndrome (WS) is associated with atypical social communication and cognition reminiscent of the behaviours observed in autism. Nonetheless, WS also differs significantly from autism, such as regarding social motivation, which is typically enhanced in WS and reduced in autism.
A DNA test to check for the missing genes because Williams syndrome is caused by 26-28 missing genes in a small region on one of the child's chromosomes. Two different types of testing are available for Willams syndrome. Both tests involve analysis of a small amount of blood from your child.
There is also evidence of accelerated ageing among individuals with Williams syndrome. An early onset of hearing loss is common and may coexist with hyperacusis (aversion to loud noises). There may also be premature greying of hair.
Williams syndrome (WS) should be suspected in individuals with the following findings: Intellectual disability affects most individuals and is typically mild. Specific cognitive profile includes strengths in verbal short-term memory and language and extreme weakness in visuospatial construction.
Matt Damon
The Hollywood heavyweight, who boasts an IQ of 160, famously completed the project with his longtime friend Ben Affleck.
The mental age of participants was assessed using the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Ability-Revised (WJ-COG-R; Woodcock & Johnson, 1989–1990). The mean mental age of the entire sample was 6 years 3 months (range: 2.16–10.58 years), typical of the WS population.
People with Williams syndrome can develop physical and mental health problems later in life, including anxiety and depression. People with Williams syndrome are very talkative and can be excessively friendly.
Early investigation into the musical skills of individuals with WS remarked on apparently enhanced or preserved abilities in music, including: a keen sense of pitch in reproducing songs, an enhanced skill for producing rhythms, and greater musical creativity (Lenhoff et al., 1997; Levitin and Bellugi, 1998).
No single dental finding was pathognomonic of WS, however patterns of oral findings may be characteristic of the syndrome. The most common constellation of findings -- microdontia, anterior crossbite, tongue thrusting, and excessive interdental spacing-- occurred in approximately one-third of all patients.
The most prevalent symptoms are increased urinary frequency, urgency, urge incontinence, and enuresis, which may affect up to 78% of those with WBS (7). Lower urinary tract symptoms seriously affect the quality of life of patients.
(7/15) The Myth: People with Williams syndrome can't/won't drive. Mythbuster: A small but growing number of individuals are obtaining licenses and drive themselves to work and around town daily – in cars or even a few on motorcycles.