Relevance to autism: In some ways Williams syndrome is the opposite of autism. For example, people with Williams syndrome love to talk and tell stories, whereas those with autism usually have language delay and little imagination.
Hyperlexia is advanced and unexpected reading skills and abilities in children way beyond their chronological age. It is a fairly recently named condition (1967) although earlier descriptions of precocious reading do exist.
Most people with Williams syndrome have a normal life expectancy, but some may have a reduced life expectancy due to complications of the disease (such as cardiovascular problems).
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Williams Syndrome (WS) are frequently characterized as mirror conditions in the socio-cognitive domain, with ASD entailing restrictive social interests and with WS exhibiting hypersociability.
The principal difference between autism and what was once diagnosed as Asperger's is that the latter features milder symptoms and an absence of language delays. Most children who were previously diagnosed with Asperger's have good language skills but may have difficulty “fitting in” with their peers.
Today, Asperger's syndrome is technically no longer a diagnosis on its own. It is now part of a broader category called autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This group of related disorders shares some symptoms. Even so, lots of people still use the term Asperger's.
Some developmental health professionals refer to PDD-NOS as “subthreshold autism." In other words, it's the diagnosis they use for someone who has some but not all characteristics of autism or who has relatively mild symptoms.
People with the BAP have some traits common to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but not enough to have the disorder. But it's not comedians who have drawn scientific scrutiny for having the BAP: it's the parents and siblings of people who actually have autism.
Young children with Williams syndrome have distinctive facial features including a broad forehead, puffiness around the eyes, a flat bridge of the nose, full cheeks, and a small chin. Many affected people have dental problems such as teeth that are small, widely spaced, crooked, or missing.
Most individuals with Williams syndrome have a degree of intellectual disability, ranging from mild to severe. Research studies have suggested that IQ scores for children with Williams syndrome range from 40 to 112, with a mean IQ score of 68 which equates to a mild intellectual disability (average IQ is 100).
Einstein Syndrome is the term used to characterize a child who has a speech delay but is simultaneously gifted in other areas requiring analytical thought.
Savant gifts, or splinter skills, may be exhibited in the following skill areas or domains: memory, hyperlexia (ie, the exceptional ability to read, spell and write), art, music, mechanical or spatial skill, calendar calculation, mathematical calculation, sensory sensitivity, athletic performance, and computer ability.
Children who read early (hyperlexia) or speak late (Einstein Syndrome) have something in common. Both are often mistaken for autism, and much to relief of many parents, both have a good outcome. There are three kinds of hyperlexia: Hyperlexia 1 consists of bright, neurotypical children who simply read early.
It describes a person who may appear to be neurotypical, but is actually autistic or neurodivergent.
It is possible to be mildly autistic, but many of the behaviors and preferences found in people with autism are also common to people who do not have autism. The difference is that people with autism engage in these behaviors in different ways and for different reasons.
Some individuals with borderline autism may be referred to as “high-functioning” autistic. This may because they live independently, function or functioned well at school and/or work, and do not have any observable behaviors such as those exhibited through language or developmental delays.
Active but odd: This group makes initiations and responds to others. They are interested in interactions and seek them out, but their ways of carrying out the interactions are unusual in their odd language, obsessive topics, and lack of understanding of others.
Autism Corner: Personality Types in Asperger's: Fixated, Disruptive, Approach and Avoidant. Fixated Personality–The fixated personality type can be characterized by a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and the need to control one's environment (e.g., to have things in a particular order).