A Workshop on Williams Syndrome and the issue of Neurogenetic Developmental Disorders, May 15-22, 2002, in Budapest, Hungary

Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Brunswick NJ

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract A Workshop on Williams Syndrome and the Issue of Neurogenetic Developmental Disorders Ilona Kovacs & Csaba Pleh Williams syndrome is a rare developmental disorder that has captured the attention of developmental cognitive scientists because it has been implicated in several double dissociation mechanisms. The peculiar developmental profiles and uneven distribution of results are of interest because they enable scientists to study the "separability" of various cognitive functions. The syndrome is interpreted as having impaired vision and less impaired language; impaired visual integration and less impaired analytic processing; better grammar than lexicon; and, high social competence. The workshop will be based on intense experimental and theoretical cooperation between several internationally recognized researchers in the field. The workshop will focus on: developmental models used in explaining Williams syndrome abilities; exact profiles of visual impairment of Williams syndrome subjects of all ages; working memory and language acquisition in Williams syndrome; language profiles of Williams syndrome subjects obtained from populations speaking different languages; comparisons with other populations, most notably with autistic subjects; and issues of self-help in families of Williams syndrome children.