Language and Literacy Development of Children With Williams Syndrome.

GENETIC disorders; WILLIAMS syndrome; INTELLECTUAL disabilities; SYNDROMES in children; AORTIC valve stenosis in children; SPEECH disorders in children; PATIENTS; PHYSIOLOGY

The article presents an overview of the language and literacy development of children with Williams syndrome, a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a deletion of approximately 25 genes on chromosome 7qll.23. A discussion of a recognizable pattern of physical characteristics, including a specific set of facial features, heart disease, connective tissue abnormalities and growth deficiencies that are commonly seen in children with Williams syndrome, is presented. Interventions which can be used to help with language and literacy problems in children with Williams syndrome are examined.