Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research Group
Early Emergence of the Williams Syndrome Behavioral Phenotype
Project Abstract
The University of Colorado School of Medicine and Colorado State University are initiating a project that will explore the early development of children with Williams syndrome and other developmental delays. We would like to invite you and your child to participate in this study. Your child is eligible if he or she has either Williams syndrome or another developmental delay or disorder.
If you are interested, you and your child will be invited either to the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver or to Colorado State University in Fort Collins for three 2-3 hour sessions. Your child will engage in a series of play tasks that will help our team to describe areas of strengths and challenges in your child. The sessions will be play-based and fun for your child. We are particularly interested in describing early cognitive, language, social, and emotional development. Parents will also be asked to be interviewed by members of our team, complete questionnaires, and engage with their child in various activities. Your child is eligible if he or she is between the ages of 2-and 10-years old, and has a genetic diagnosis of Williams syndrome or other developmental delays without a previous diagnosis of autism.
Major Goals
- Explore early development in children with Williams Syndrome in order to better understand the emergence of the Williams syndrome behavioral phenotype.
- Explore the differences between early development in children with Williams syndrome and children with other developmental disabilities.
- Formulate scientifically sound guidelines for early intervention, based on research results regarding early development in Williams syndrome.
Funding Source
This project is supported by the March of Dimes Project No. MOD12-FY03-47, 2003 – 2005.
Contact Person
Kym Gilchrist
Kym.Gilchrist@UCHSC.edu
(303) 315-1748 (phone)
(303) 315-2956 (fax)
4200 E. Ninth Ave. C268-30
Denver , CO 80262
Project Staff
Deborah Fidler, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Susan Hepburn, Ph.D., Co-Investigator
Amy Philofsky, M.A., CCC-SLP, Lead Clinician
Kym Gilchrist, B.S., Professional Research Assistant
Products and Publications
Behavioral phenotypes and special education: parent report of educational issues for children with Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Williams syndrome.
by Deborah J. Fidler , Robert M. Hodapp , Elizabeth M. Dykens
Special Education and Genetics: Connections for the 21st Century
by Robert M. Hodapp , Deborah J. Fidler
