Williams Syndrome (WS), aka Williams Beuren Syndrome, is a developmental disorder that we have known about for some forty years. The cause for WS was detected only recently: a micro deletion on chromosome 7, more specifically at the region of chromosome 7q11.23. The cognitive and behavioral profile in WS is characterized by a marked discrepancy between verbal and non-verbal skills combined with relatively spared linguistic skills. Recent research has shown considerable progress defining the areas of intactness in linguistic abilities. This volume builds on that research, giving an overview of the psycholinguistic research undertaken and opening up new perspectives and insights through new data and analyses. This book is of interest to researchers of applied cognitive science and to linguists more occupied with theoretical research.

Williams Syndrome (WS), aka Williams Beuren Syndrome, is a developmental disorder that we have known about for some forty years. The cause for WS was detected only recently: a micro deletion on chromosome 7, more specifically at the region of chromosome 7q11.23. The cognitive and behavioral profile in WS is characterized by a marked discrepancy between verbal and non-verbal skills combined with relatively spared linguistic skills. Recent research has shown considerable progress defining the areas of intactness in linguistic abilities. This volume builds on that research, giving an overview of the psycholinguistic research undertaken and opening up new perspectives and insights through new data and analyses. This book is of interest to researchers of applied cognitive science and to linguists more occupied with theoretical research.

Updated and expanded to 124 entries, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Child Development remains the authoritative reference in the field.

Comprehensive and readable, Understanding Williams Syndrome: Behavioral Patterns and Interventions is an essential guide for all those professionally, scientifically, or personally involved with this so frequently misunderstood and underserved population--psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and other mental health professionals; special educators and vocational counselors; speech-language, physical, and occupational therapists; audiologists; physicians; and parents. In the last 20 years, Williams syndrome has captured the interest of large numbers of scientists and attracted considerable media attention in spite of its rarity (estimated at no more than one in 30,000 births). Those diagnosed display a unique pattern of behavioral, cognitive, and physical limitations and strengths with fascinating neurogenetic implications--a pattern that poses enormous challenges to their parents and caregivers. The authors, a specialist in learning disabilities and a developmental psychologist, review basic information about Williams syndrome, its medical conditions, paradoxical profile, and neurobiological mechanisms; and discuss distinctive features of the language and perceptual and motor performance of children and adults with the syndrome. Other features include: * Strategies for working with patients. * An examination of the difference between Williams syndrome and other developmental disorders. * Problem-specific alternatives for treatment. * Analysis of new directions in research, clinical intervention, education, and systems for care delivery. Throughout, they stress variations among individuals and subgroups in ability level, skills, talents, and problem severity; and emphasize the necessity of recognizing these components in planning treatment on an individual basis.

This volume presents a set of ten carefully designed experimental studies which aim to investigate the nature of different aspects of linguistic abilities and their relative impairments in Hungarian speaking individuals with Williams Syndrome, a rare genetically-based developmental disorder that has in recent years become the focus of great deal of attention in the cognitive and brain sciences. The central theoretical interest in studying Williams Syndrome has to do with the fact that it presents a rare and intriguing profile of apparent dissociation between a surprisingly spared linguistic competence on the one hand, and relatively severe deficits in a range of other cognitive domainsespecially in spatial cognition and motor skillson the other, together with mild to moderate mental retardation. This provides an intriguing testing ground for such central questions of current cognitive science as whether the language faculty is modular or not, how language and cognition are interfaced

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1,7, Humboldt-University of Berlin (Anglistik/ Amerikanistik), course: Syntactic Competence, Structures and Processes, language: English, abstract: Background: In their study, Clahsen and Almazan (2001) tried to show that the analysis of Williams syndrome from a linguistic perspective might lead to evidence for the modular structure of the human language faculty, a widespread assumption yet, but without accepted evidence. Karmiloff-Smith amongst others, argues by contrast that disorders, such as Williams syndrome, are too complex to allow such general deduction as presented by Clahsen and Almazan. Method: First, the study by Clahsen and Almazan is going to be introduced. Then, more recent and challenging argumentation from different sources will be discussed in terms of plausibility of the conclusion drawn by the authors of the study. Result: The explanation offered by Clahsen and Almazan is clearly nondevelopmental and therefore discounts vital aspects of language acquisition, especially for people with disorders. Thus, their core argument turns out to be hardly tenable. Conclusion: Evaluation of the contrasting argumentation shows that neither Williams syndrome nor other disorders such as Specific language impairment alone can serve as ultimate proof for modularity of the human language faculty. Disorders rather point to crucial developmental delays and disadvantages in the process of language acquisition and therefore cannot be evidence for the dual structure of the language faculty. Even within single domains, fractionation occurs at such a complex level that any explanation must consider the aspect of development.

This book presents a range of ongoing studies on atypical language development in Romance languages. Despite the steady increase in the number of studies on typical language development, there is still little research about atypical language development, especially in Romance languages. This book covers four main conditions causing atypical language development. Part I explores the linguistic and communicative characteristics of preterm children learning Romance languages. The focus of Part II centers on children with Specific Language Impairment. Hearing Loss in Part III is another relevant factor leading to atypical language development. The final part IV zeroes in on genetic syndromes coupled to cognitive impairment with special attention to language development. This book presents a much needed overview of the most recent findings in all relevant fields dealing with atypical language development in children speaking Romance languages.

The Handbook of Speech and Language Disorders presents a comprehensive survey of the latest research in communication disorders. Contributions from leading experts explore current issues, landmark studies, and the main topics in the field, and include relevant information on analytical methods and assessment. A series of foundational chapters covers a variety of important general principles irrespective of specific disorders. These chapters focus on such topics as classification, diversity considerations, intelligibility, the impact of genetic syndromes, and principles of assessment and intervention. Other chapters cover a wide range of language, speech, and cognitive/intellectual disorders.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most frequent chronic diseases affecting children and adolescents. The number of young children being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is increasing worldwide and an epidemic of type 2 diabetes already at a young age is being

Prominent researchers from the US, Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Spain contribute experimental reports on language development of children who are acquiring Spanish. The chapters cover a wide range of dimensions in acquisition: comprehension and production; monolingualism and bilingualism; typical development, children who are at risk and children with language disorders, phonology, semantics, and morphosyntax. These studies will inform linguistic theory development in clinical linguistics as well as offer insights on how language works in relation to cognitive functions that are associated with when children understand or use language. The unique data from child language offer perspectives that cannot be drawn from adult language. The first part is dedicated to the acquisition of Spanish as a first or second language by typically-developing children, the second part offers studies on children who are at risk of language delays, and the third part focuses on children with specific language impairment, disorders and syndromes.