Williams syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that is caused by the deletion of genetic material on
The condition is typically diagnosed when your child is a baby or early during childhood. If your healthcare provider suspects your child has Williams syndrome, they will provide a physical examination of your child, followed by a genetic test, which is a blood test that identifies gene differences.
Young children with Williams syndrome have distinctive facial features including a broad forehead, puffiness around the eyes, a flat bridge of the nose, full cheeks, and a small chin. Many affected people have dental problems such as teeth that are small, widely spaced, crooked, or missing.
Williams syndrome is caused by not having a copy of 25 to 27 genes on chromosome number 7. In most cases, the gene changes (mutations) occur on their own, either in the sperm or egg that a baby develops from. However, once someone carries the genetic change, their children have a 50% chance of inheriting it.
Patients usually have a normal life expectancy. Some patients may have a reduced life expectancy. This is due to complications related to the heart and kidney. There is no cure for Williams syndrome.
Autism and Williams syndrome are genetically based neurodevelopmental disorders that present strikingly different social phenotypes. Autism involves fundamental impairments in social reciprocity and communication, whereas people with Williams syndrome are highly sociable and engaging.
Williams Syndrome (WS) is not an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), although there is some overlap between the two conditions. WS and ASD have opposite characteristics in the social domain, but share some common behavioral and cognitive deficiencies.
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).
There is no specific cure for Williams syndrome, so care is focused on treating specific symptoms or cardiovascular problems. Children with Williams syndrome who have a heart defect may need heart catheterization or surgery to repair the problem, including: ballooning or stenting of blood vessels.
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.
As well as a learning disability, people with Williams syndrome will often share distinctive facial characteristics including a wide mouth with a pronounced bottom lip, slightly high and rounded cheeks, and widely-spaced teeth.
Yes, but the number and the severity of problems varies greatly among individuals. Many different body systems can be affected and since some of the medical problems can develop over time, it is important that individuals with Williams syndrome receive ongoing medical monitoring and supervision.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Williams Syndrome (WS) are frequently characterized as mirror conditions in the socio-cognitive domain, with ASD entailing restrictive social interests and with WS exhibiting hypersociability.
Communication difficulties: Most children with Williams syndrome develop speech skills later than other children their age. With intervention, most children develop the ability to communicate wants and needs effectively. In fact, for many children with Williams syndrome, expressive language may be a relative strength.
Beyond infancy, findings have consistently indicated that children with WS have more sleep problems than age-matched TD children, including sleep anxiety, bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, frequent night waking, general restlessness, and excessive daytime sleepiness [10, 11, 41,42,43,44,45,46,47].
About one in every 20,000 babies is born with Williams syndrome. Males and females are equally affected, and the condition is found across all races and countries.
The diagnosis of Williams syndrome may be confirmed by a thorough clinical evaluation that includes a detailed patient history and specialized blood tests that may detect elevated levels of calcium in the blood.
The behavioral symptoms of the syndrome include over-friendliness, increased empathy (the ability to understand the feelings of others), cognitive (mental) disorders, highly developed language skills, disrupted ability to recognize danger in social situations, and high levels of non-social stress (stress that is not ...
The low I.Q., however, ignores two traits that define Williams more distinctly than do its deficits: an exuberant gregariousness and near-normal language skills. Williams people talk a lot, and they talk with pretty much anyone [p.
Williams syndrome is called the happy syndrome because people with this condition often have outgoing, friendly personalities and tend to be very social. They may have a unique ability to connect with others and form strong bonds, making them appear very happy and engaging.
Williams syndrome (WS) is a genetic condition that is present at birth and can affect anyone. It is characterized by medical problems, including cardiovascular disease, developmental delays, and learning challenges.
The personality of individuals with Williams syndrome involves high sociability, overfriendliness, and empathy, with an undercurrent of anxiety related to social situations.
The most common psychiatric disorders found in Williams syndrome have been reported mainly in children and include Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in 65%, Specific Phobia in 43%, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in up to 24% of cases.
Williams syndrome is a progressive disorder with multisystem involvement.