Check out Williams Syndrome news features.
A Milton couple knew their youngest daughter was experiencing some learning and developmental delays growing up, but they didn't know why until about three years ago. That's when Alyssa Okeyo was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition known as Williams syndrome. Check out their story.
Nashville Public Radio produced a story about the the Vanderbilt University program supported by CMA's Living Lives program and it ran on All Things Considered July 31, 2017.
WGN-TV in Chicago ran an insensitive and uninformed piece on Williams syndrome. Several parents rallied and reached out to them demanding an apology (which the news station offered) but also requested that they do a story that would reflect Williams syndrome realistically, which they did. It aired July 27, 2017. The power of community!
May 20, 2017, the Walk for Williams annual event in Santa Monica held special meaning, as it was dedicated to Jonathan Martinez, who was shot in a school shooting the month before. ED Terry Monkaba walked with his grieving parents and family, who were dedicated to allowing WS to be promoted in his name to raise awareness. Local television affiliates came out to film the more than 500 supporters.
The newspaper ran a story about six year old Ben Liestman, who has a charming fascination with vacuum cleaners.
North Carolina Central head basketball coach LeVelle Moton has made plenty of friends during his basketball career, but it's a young woman he met off the court who inspires him the more than most.
Amy was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome, a cognitive disability, when we she was 24. Her outlook on life is straightforward but universal: “Be proud of who you are” and “don’t let people stop you from trying.” She is a graduate of Project SEARCH at Seton Healthcare Family, a best practice for hiring individuals with developmental disabilities.
"Those with Williams syndrome have a distinctive pattern of intellectual peaks and valleys, including low IQs, developmental delays and learning disabilities, all coupled with a rich, imaginative capacity for language — and those exuberantly social personalities.
Researchers have puzzled over that extreme friendliness for decades, pondering the causes and complicated traits that go with the syndrome that affects 1 in every 10,000 people, says Ursula Bellugi, a researcher at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, Calif., who has studied the disorder for a quarter-century.
They've come to believe that Williams syndrome, which is characterized by unique genetic markers and distinct behaviors, may actually hold the secrets to understanding other better-known disorders — including autism." Read more.
When 20/20's Chris Cuomo attended a camp for children with Williams he was besieged by hugs and slaps on the back. Then came the barrage of questions. "What's your favorite color?" "Where do you live?" "Have you met Barney the Dinosaur?"
Learn more about sociability and other aspects of Williams syndrome. View the videos: