Dr Rachel Royston outlines some of the key characteristics associated with Williams syndrome
Behavioural Characteristics in Williams Syndrome
When people have a diagnosis of Williams syndrome, it means that they are more likely to engage in certain behaviours than people without this syndrome. This is known as a ‘behavioural phenotype’. However, this does not mean that everyone with Williams syndrome will show this behaviour and it is extremely important to remember that everyone with Williams syndrome is an individual.
Understanding which behaviours are more likely to occur in Williams syndrome means that parents, carers and professionals are in a stronger position to support a person because they can learn about why this behaviour is happening and develop interventions that are specific to people with Williams syndrome.
The following sections describe a range of behaviours including:
- ​Adaptive (living) skills
- Austism spectrum disorder
- Mood and Interest
- Overactivity and Impulsivity
- Repetitive behaviour
- Sleep
- Social skills
- Behavioural difficulties
​Descriptions of each of these behaviours can be found in the corresponding subsections on this website.