Abstract
One commonly cited feature of Williams syndrome is a characteristic dissociation between relatively spared language skills and severely impaired nonverbal abilities. However, the actual evidence for a dissociation between verbal and nonverbal abilities in Williams syndrome is equivocal. In two separate studies we examined these abilities in 16 individuals showing the Williams syndrome phenotype. When considered as a whole, the group did have significantly superior verbal abilities, but this difference was caused by a large discrepancy in abilities in only a small number of individuals. In both studies there was a clear, linear relation between individuals' verbal ability, and the magnitude of their verbal-nonverbal discrepancy. We suggest that these results are best explained in terms of verbal ability developing at a faster rate than nonverbal ability in this disorder. We discuss how this model of differential rates of development has the potential to reconcile the apparently inconsistent findings in this area.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 511-23 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - 1998 |
Keywords
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aptitude
- Child
- Female
- Humans
- Hypercalcemia
- Individuality
- Intelligence
- Language Development Disorders
- Learning Disorders
- Male
- Phenotype
- Verbal Behavior
- Wechsler Scales
- Williams Syndrome