Anxiety Disorders in Williams Syndrome Contrasted with Intellectual Disability and the General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Individuals with specific genetic syndromes associated with intellectual disability (ID), such as Williams syndrome (WS), are at increased risk for developing anxiety disorders. A systematic literature review identified sixteen WS papers that could generate pooled prevalence estimates of anxiety disorders for WS. A meta-analysis compared these estimates with prevalence estimates for the heterogeneous ID population and the general population. Estimated rates of anxiety disorders in WS were high. WS individuals were four times more likely to experience anxiety than individuals with ID, and the risk was also heightened compared to the general population. The results provide further evidence of an unusual profile of high anxiety in WS

Nonverbal communication, play, and language in Greek young children with Williams syndrome

This study investigated nonverbal communicative abilities, functional play, and symbolic play in 11 toddlers with Williams syndrome (WS) during spontaneous communication. The WS group was compared with a group of typically developing (TD) children matched for linguistic abilities. Results demonstrated that children with WS exhibited significantly less spontaneous functional play and imaginary play compared to TD children. On the other hand, children with WS showed significantly more showing and giving guided by their parents than TD children. In addition, it was shown that in both groups aspects of symbolic play are correlated with expressive as well as receptive language. These findings are interpreted through the Theory of Intersubjectivity, which contrasts with the Theory of Mind and suggests that shared arbitrary purposes regarding actions on objects constitute presuppositions for the development of language

Habilidades sociocomunicativas de bebês no primeiro ano de vida: um estudo longitudinal

Este artigo objetiva identificar as principais habilidades sociocomunicativas evidenciadas por bebês em três momentos do primeiro ano de vida e suas diferentes configurações em cada idade. Destaca-se a ideia de que compreender a dimensão sociocognitiva e comunicativa infantil é fundamental para um entendimento mais aprofundado da gênese do desenvolvimento humano e da linguagem. Participaram da pesquisa seis díades mãe-bebê nas idades de seis, nove e doze meses, observadas em suas residências, em situação de brincadeira livre, durante 40 minutos em cada idade. Os resultados das análises demonstraram que as habilidades sociocomunicativas dos bebês estudados foram se reconfigurando em cada idade subsequente, permitindo identificar, principalmente aos 12 meses, a existência de habilidades comunicativas intencionais. Os dados obtidos neste estudo contribuem para maior compreensão acerca da cognição social infantil no primeiro ano de vida e suas relações com a aquisição da linguagem