The Williams syndrome cognitive profile

Abstract

Williams syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a hemizygous deletion of approximately 1.5 megabases on chromosome 7q11.23. In this article, we outline a Williams Syndrome Cognitive Profile (WSCP) that operationalizes the cognitive characteristics of the syndrome using measures of absolute and relative performance on subtests of the Differential Abilities Scales (Elliot, 1990a). Testing confirmed excellent sensitivity and specificity scores for the WSCP. Seventy-four of 84 individuals with Williams syndrome fit the WSCP while only 4 participants in a contrast group met all of the WSCP criteria. It was also found that the WSCP does not vary greatly with chronological age or overall level of cognitive ability for individuals with Williams syndrome. Possible applications for the WSCP include psychoeducational evaluation and empirical research such as the search for genotype/phenotype relations in this genetically based syndrome.