Mild to severe learning difficulties. Relatively good spoken language, but often with poorer comprehension. Fluent and articulate speech, incessant chatter. Marked visuo-spatial difficulties. Gross and fine motor problems. Marked concentration problems.

a) Language and Communication:

The relatively good language and communication skills of adults with WS can be misleading and give the impression that individuals are more able than they actually are. On the surface most people with WS appear fluent and articulate, and they often have sophisticated and wide ranging vocabularies. However, their speech can also be inappropriate and repetitive, especially when talking about topics they are particularly interested in. They may also exaggerate and over-dramatize events in conversation with others. In many cases their comprehension is more limited, and inappropriate language may result from the use of words without fully understanding their meaning. In conversation, many adults lack the intellectual ability to imagine what other people may be thinking or to see somebody else's point of view. Consequently their speech tends to be one-sided, which may well antagonize or irritate others. People with WS often use chatter and incessant questions to initiate and maintain social contact with other people and to get attention.

b) Perceptual and Motor Abilities:

People with WS have particular difficulties with gross and fine motor coordination, with visual discrimination tasks, with orienting themselves and objects in space, and with judging distances, depths and directions. Even something as apparently simple as walking down stairs or on an uneven surface like grass or gravel, may prove extremely challenging. A fear of heights is common, and crossing the road can be a particular problem because individuals often find it difficult to judge accurately the speed and distance of cars. Difficulty with fine-motor coordination may make individuals appear clumsy and slow when performing delicate or intricate tasks, such as
doing up buttons or threading a needle. Some individuals have a marked hand/arm tremor when performing such tasks. Handwriting is also affected by these difficulties.

c) Concentration and Attention Span:

Distractibility and limited attention span are significant problems, and adults with WS often find it difficult to concentrate on tasks for long periods.

d) Reading, Writing and Arithmetic:

The educational abilities of adults with WS vary considerably. Their relatively good verbal skills, including a very good memory for sounds and words, and excellent auditory sequencing skills, facilitate the acquisition of reading, and about 50% do learn to read, ill least at a basic level. Writing is more difficult to master because of the additional visual and fine motor skills required, but many individuals with WS attain at least some basic writing ability, and can write simple sentences. Because of their fine motor and visuo-spatial difficulties many have problems holding a pen or pencil; forming letters, spacing out words, and aligning words can also be difficult. Deficits in number work and arithmetic are common, and this makes coping with money a particular
obstacle.

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Last modified: April 15, 2007