Three key symptoms of Williams syndrome include distinctive facial features (like a broad forehead, puffy eyes, upturned nose), cardiovascular problems (such as narrowing of the aorta), and a specific personality trait of being overly friendly, coupled with developmental delays and learning difficulties. Individuals often have strengths in speech and music but struggle with visuospatial tasks, alongside issues like hyperacusis (sensitive hearing) and feeding challenges in infancy.
distinctive facial features – including a long upper lip, small chin, generous lips, chubby face, upturned nose and flattened nose bridge. Some people with Williams syndrome may have a squint. weight and growth problems – a newborn baby with William syndrome may have a low birth weight and gain weight slowly.
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.
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 patients with Williams syndrome are diagnosed as a newborn or in early childhood. The average age of diagnosis is around three and a half years.
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.
Speech Development
He found a strong correlation between age at onset of rhythmic hand banging and canonical babble and between the onset of canonical babble (mean age of onset in his study: 17.7 months) and a 25-word expressive vocabulary for children with WS (mean age: 22.9 months).
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.
The key dimensions of WS sociability include increased approachability, attention to faces, and emotional responsivity. Hypersociability combines with altered structure and function of the social brain in WS. Genes at 7q11. 23 are implicated in social-affective functions.
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%.
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.
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).
Individuals with Williams syndrome have also been strongly associated with high anxiety levels, as well as phobia development,17,18 hyperacusis,12 attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; 70% of individuals with Williams syndrome have been diagnosed with ADHD),7,14,15 and related psychological symptoms such as ...
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.
Treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists may be considered. Although data are limited, buspirone has been shown to be effective in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder in patients with Williams syndrome.
Some adults are able to function independently, complete academic or vocational school, and live in supervised homes or on their own; most live with a caregiver. Parents can increase the likelihood that their child will be able to live semi-independently by teaching self-help skills early.
Residents with Williams syndrome who desire employment are often enrolled in Job Skills Training. They learn the importance of staying on task, arriving at work on time, taking directions and adopting appropriate behaviors in an employment setting.
Although low mood in Williams syndrome is less well researched, there are indications that clinical depression diagnoses may be present in approximately 10% of individuals. As in the general population symptoms of depression often occur alongside symptoms of anxiety for people with Williams syndrome.
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.
Unexplained changes in bowel habits
Consult your health care provider if you notice unusual or unexplained changes in your bowel movements, such as: Bloody, black or tarry-colored stools. Persistent diarrhea or constipation. Pain in the stomach that doesn't go away.
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.
The "6-second rule" for autism is a communication strategy where a speaker pauses for about six seconds after asking a question or giving information, giving the autistic person extra time to process it without feeling rushed, which helps reduce anxiety and allows for a more thoughtful response, reducing frustration for both parties. Instead of repeating or rephrasing, which can be confusing, you wait, and if needed, repeat the exact same words after the pause.
Individuals with William syndrome are often described as hyper-sociable, talkative and friendly, often very empathetic, polite, and happy. People with WS may also display behavior issues and anxiety beginning at a very young age, and some may have specific phobias and fears.
If your child consistently struggles to understand what you're saying, it might be a red flag. Speech Difficulties: If your child's speech is unclear or difficult to understand by age 3, it could be a sign of a speech delay.