Williams syndrome negatively impacts individuals through significant health issues like heart problems (narrowed aorta), developmental delays, learning disabilities, ADHD, anxiety, and extreme sensitivity to sound (hyperacusis), alongside feeding difficulties in infancy, skeletal issues (like scoliosis), and distinctive facial features, affecting overall physical and cognitive development.
It is important to remember that there are no universal features, and every person affected by Williams syndrome is unique. Individuals born with Williams syndrome have a normal life expectancy but may experience medical, cognitive and behavioral challenges of varying severity.
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.
While people with WS typically have normal fertility, they frequently do not have children because of their health and intellectual disabilities. HOW IS WILLIAMS SYNDROME DIAGNOSED?
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.
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).
(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.
Most often, the missing piece of chromosome 7, which causes Williams syndrome, is something that happens by chance. It is not typically inherited from either parent.
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.
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.
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%.
The heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular system) and digestive tract (gastrointestinal system) are among the most affected systems in the body. In addition, children with Williams syndrome may have developmental delays and individuals often have a specific learning profile.
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.
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.
Those with Asperger's syndrome, in contrast, must by definition have suffered no cognitive delay during their first 3 years of life. This means that they will usually have at least a “normal” IQ. In some cases, their IQ may be very high, even in the genius range.
Conclusions. Persons with WS had a less-favorable dietary pattern when compared to persons with PWS. A larger proportion of persons living in communities frequently consumed precooked meals and showed a tendency of high-frequency soft drink consumption.
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.
Though the average IQ of a person with Williams syndrome is about 56 and mental retardation occurs in about 75% of patients, their language development may be relatively spared. Speech in persons with WS is often enhanced in quantity and quality of vocabulary and social use of language.
[2] Patients with Williams syndrome can live semi-independently or, in some cases, independently and are often able to work. As each individual with Williams syndrome has different needs, completion of an individualized life transition plan is recommended, preferably before the age of 13 or 14.
Most older children and adults with WS speak fluently and use good grammar. More than 50% of children with WS have attention deficit disorders (ADD or ADHD), and about 50% have specific phobias, such as a fear of loud noises. The majority of individuals with WS worry excessively.
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.
Williams syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects many parts of the body. This condition is characterized by mild to moderate intellectual disability or learning problems, unique personality characteristics, distinctive facial features, and heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) problems.
The most common psychiatric disorders found in Williams syndrome have been reported mainly in children and encompass ADHD in 65%–84%,10,41 specific phobia in 43%–54%,41,42 and generalized anxiety disorders in 8%–24% of the cases.
Most people with Williams syndrome are of average height or somewhat shorter due to possible stunted growth throughout childhood. Extra calcium in the urine and blood, an underactive thyroid, and premature puberty are just a few endocrine issues that can arise from Williams disorder.
Of all the different mental health problems, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) tends to affect the highest number of individuals (over 60%) with Williams syndrome. ADHD is characterised by persistent inattention and hyperactivity and is also a common disorder of childhood in the general population.