Williams Syndrome Module – Easy Read

 

🧠 What is Williams Syndrome?

Williams Syndrome is a rare genetic condition.
People with this condition are missing a small piece of information (genes) from one of their chromosomes.

Nobody knows exactly why this happens.

It is not passed down from parents.

About 1 in 18,000 people in the UK are born with Williams Syndrome.

It is classed as a learning disability.

Everyone with Williams Syndrome is different, and it affects people in different ways.

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🌟 Early Signs and Development

Babies and children with Williams Syndrome may:

Be born smaller or lighter than other babies

Grow more slowly

Have feeding or bowel difficulties

Find it hard to sleep

Take longer to learn new skills, like holding things or walking

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😊 Appearance

Some facial features may make Williams Syndrome recognisable:

A wide mouth

Full, round cheeks

Small gaps between the teeth

This is sometimes compared to Down Syndrome, which also has visible traits.

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👫 Personality and Behavior

People with Williams Syndrome are often:

Very friendly and chatty

Loving and sociable

Keen to talk and connect with others

They might find it harder to:

Understand personal space or social boundaries

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🩺 Health and Mental Health

As they grow, people with Williams Syndrome may experience:

Physical health problems

Anxiety or other mental health difficulties

Doctors can diagnose Williams Syndrome with a blood test.

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💡 Support and Treatment

People with Williams Syndrome may benefit from:

Physiotherapy – to help with movement and coordination

Speech and Language Therapy – to support communication

Special education support – to help with learning and confidence

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🎵 Strengths of People with Williams Syndrome

People with Williams Syndrome often have amazing abilities, such as:

🗣️ Talkative and expressive – good vocabulary, love talking

🎵 Musical – great memory for songs, strong rhythm, love of music

🙂 Recognising faces – very good at seeing and remembering faces

👫 Social skills – enjoy meeting people, friendly, chatty

Challenges may include:

Understanding shapes and space (visuospatial skills)

Doing math

Focusing or concentrating (some have ADHD)

Using fine motor skills (handwriting, small tools)

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🧠 Williams Syndrome – Quiz (Easy Read)

What is Williams Syndrome?
a) A cold you can catch
b) A condition where a small piece of chromosome is missing ✅
c) A type of food

How many people in the UK have Williams Syndrome?
a) 1 in 18,000 ✅
b) 1 in 100
c) 1 in 10

Can Williams Syndrome be passed on from parents?
a) Yes
b) No ✅

What kind of disability is Williams Syndrome?
a) A learning disability ✅
b) A hearing disability
c) A vision disability

What might a baby with Williams Syndrome find difficult?
a) Sleeping and feeding ✅
b) Running fast
c) Reading

How might a person with Williams Syndrome look?
a) Wide mouth, round cheeks, and small gaps between teeth ✅
b) Very tall with small hands
c) Curly hair and green eyes

What are people with Williams Syndrome often like?
a) Quiet and shy
b) Talkative and friendly ✅
c) Angry and rude

What kind of test can help doctors find out if someone has Williams Syndrome?
a) Hearing test
b) Blood test ✅
c) Eye test

What kind of support can help someone with Williams Syndrome?
a) Physiotherapy and speech therapy ✅
b) Driving lessons
c) Cooking classes

Can people with Williams Syndrome have mental health problems as they get older?
a) Yes ✅
b) No