Scientists realized it was related to the levels of oxytocin. They knew that oxytocin is involved in social/intimacy behaviors, like mother-child bonding or romantic encounters. And they found that people with Williams syndrome have a lot more oxytocin than everybody else, and that it fluctuates wildly in the brain.
Early studies found that one of the deleted genes in the syndrome, called Gtf2i, was related to the over-friendliness observed in Williams syndrome [3]. But the mechanism behind this gene influences excessive friendliness was not fully understood until more recently.
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.
Children with Williams syndrome typically have a personality that is friendly, outgoing, and/or talkative. The appropriate use of language and vocabulary range may be unusually enhanced in some children with this disorder. Mild to moderate mental retardation may occur.
Individuals with WS exhibit consistent and unique patterns of social behavior, characterized by an overly friendly, affectionate, engaging, and socially disinhibited personality particularly toward strangers, apparent cross-culturally, and through separable channels of communication, such as eye gaze and language.
Williams syndrome IQ ranges from 48 to 85. True, people with Williams syndrome are often very loquacious and usually have better language than spatial skills, but the profile of the syndrome is unscientifically exaggerated by secondary sources.
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).
A degree of mental retardation is present in the majority of people with the disorder, and while some adults with Williams-Beuren syndrome have the ability to live independently, completing vocational or academic school and living on their own or in supervised homes, the majority of people with this disorder live with ...
Williams syndrome may cause poor growth in childhood, and most adults with the condition are shorter than average. Williams syndrome can also cause endocrine concerns like having too much calcium in your blood and urine, an underactive thyroid and early puberty.
Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic syndrome (prevalence 1: 75001) characterized by strikingly heightened social approach behaviors. Individuals with WS are typically described as “hypersocial”, with a strong social interest, friendliness, and attention to other's2,3,4,5,6.
And they found that people with Williams syndrome have a lot more oxytocin than everybody else, and that it fluctuates wildly in the brain. As a result, they feel this biological impulse to love all the time.
Most individuals with Williams syndrome have an affinity to music. They are touched by music in ways not usually seen in the general population.
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.
Strengths in speech, long term memory, and social skills. Weaknesses in fine motor and spatial relations. Movement/mobility difficulties: Most children with Williams syndrome have low muscle tone and trouble with coordination and strength.
"You listen to what I say, I listen to what you say, and then we build on that," Pober says. "But to sustain the attention and build on the dialogue enough to really get to know someone is hard for many folks with Williams syndrome." Pober says few people with William's syndrome marry, and even fewer have children.
Can people with Williams Syndrome have a child/children of their own? There are no significant physical reasons why people with Williams Syndrome cannot conceive normally, but their own health may pose a potential risk, particularly if they have a heart condition.
3) Use simple, concrete language at all times. Avoid complex and abstract explanations or concepts. 4) Remember that the person with Williams Syndrome usually understands less than may be apparent from the way they talk.
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.
In some ways Williams syndrome is the opposite of autism. For example, people with Williams syndrome love to talk and tell stories, whereas those with autism usually have language delay and little imagination.
It affects approximately 1 in 10000 Australians. There are many symptoms that vary from person to person, but they each share a very social and friendly disposition and have a deep affinity with music.
Disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED) is a childhood attachment disorder where a child is overly friendly and comfortable with strangers. Young children are usually wary of strangers and find comfort from their parents or caregivers.
Learning problems are common in children with Williams syndrome. They range from mild to severe. Children are slower to walk, talk, and gain new skills compared to other children their age. They may have a learning disorder such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
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.
WS affects 1 in 7,500 - 10,000 people worldwide – an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people in the United States. It is known to occur equally in both males and females and in every culture. Children with Williams syndrome tend to be social, friendly, and endearing.
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.