Williams syndrome is a relatively rare disorder present at birth. It is characterised by anxiety related behaviours, health conditions and mild intellectual impairment. People with Williams syndrome also have unusual facial features such as a small upturned nose, wide mouth, full lips, small chin and widely spaced teeth.
People with Williams syndrome are extremely friendly and as a result may appear to have a very endearing personality. Therefore, it is not surprising that they demonstrate intellectual 'strengths' and 'weaknesses', as opposed to overall impairment. For instance, they may perform well with speech and language, long-term memory capability and social skills. But in other areas such as fine motor coordination, for example writing, and spatial relations, such as map reading, more significant impairment may be evident.
People with Williams syndrome can get particular pleasure from meeting and helping people. Many may find noisy or busy work environments distressing and tend to get bored with repetitive tasks.
Symptoms and characteristics
Symptoms, characteristics and common features of Williams syndrome in adulthood include:
- mild intellectual disability
- good spoken language, however, possibly poor comprehension
- extremely friendly, social and 'chatty', however, limited understanding of appropriate social interactions
- fine and gross motor weaknesses
- heart abnormalities or other health conditions
- easily distracted with difficulties concentrating
- hearing loss in some cases
- anxiety
- perceptual motor difficulties—potentially resulting in difficulties judging distances, depth perception and position of the body in relation to objects or workspace.
For more information on some of these symptoms and characteristics, follow these links:
Workplace adjustments and solutions
In the workplace there are various factors that would assist people with Williams syndrome to better manage their symptoms. These include changes to work tasks and the environment, such as:
- organising the work day with set structure and routine and making any changes to this slowly and with support
- if possible, enable work duties to be done in one area to assist with familiarisation and learning
- use prompts to trigger memory and recall such as alarms, computer alerts, visual prompts, cue cards or picture task breakdown lists
- education for co-workers about the condition, and any information about the person such as how they best communicate, interact or mobilise
- present new information verbally or through demonstration rather than in written format
- position in a work area which minimises distractions and aids concentration
- avoiding areas of work which may involve sudden loud noises, if the person demonstrates sensitivity to noise
- allowing rotation between sitting and standing to minimise fatigue
- consider any workplace modifications which may be required to overcome fine or gross motor weaknesses.
There are adjustments and solutions available for the following job requirements:
References
Better Health Channel 2011, Williams syndrome, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, viewed 9 March 2012,
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Williams_syndrome?open.
Williams Syndrome Association (no date specified), Educational Strategies, Williams Syndrome Association, Michigan, viewed 9 March 2012, http://www.williams-syndrome.org/teacher/educational-strategies.
Udwin, O, Davies, M, Stinton, C & Howlin, P, Adults with Williams Syndrome—Guidelines for Employers and Supervisors, Williams Syndrome Foundation, Kent, viewed 9 March 2012, http://www.williams-syndrome.org.uk/resources/free_publications/Guidelines%20for%20Employers%20&%20Supervisors.pdf.
Williams Syndrome Association (no date specified), What is Williams syndrome?, Williams Syndrome Association, Michigan, viewed 9 March 2012, http://www.williams-syndrome.org/what-is-williams-syndrome.