Exploring the prevalence and phenomenology of repetitive behaviours and abnormal sensory processing in children with Williams Syndrome

Janes, E.; Riby, D.M.; Rodgers, J.

doi:10.1111/jir.12086

Exploring the prevalence and phenomenology of repetitive behaviours and abnormal sensory processing in children with Williams Syndrome

Janes, E.; Riby, D.M.; Rodgers, J.

Authors

E. Janes

Professor Deborah Riby deborah.riby@durham.ac.uk
Professor

J. Rodgers

Abstract

Background A small amount of research with individuals who have Williams Syndrome (WS) suggests that children with the condition may be vulnerable to sensory processing abnormalities and present with repetitive and restricted behaviours. Methods Parents of 21 children with WS aged 6–15 years completed a semi-structured interview designed to elicit the form, frequency, impact and developmental course of a range of sensory processing abnormalities and repetitive behaviours. Results Findings indicate that sensory processing difficulties are predominantly characterised by hypersensitivities, particularly in relation to vestibular, auditory, gustatory and proprioceptive functioning. Parents also reported the presence of a range of restricted and repetitive behaviours, which were often associated with their child's sensory symptoms. Conclusions This study makes a significant contribution to our understanding of sensory functioning and repetitive behaviours in WS. It also highlights the need for a multidisciplinary assessment of the difficulties experienced by children with the disorder.

Citation

Janes, E., Riby, D., & Rodgers, J. (2014). Exploring the prevalence and phenomenology of repetitive behaviours and abnormal sensory processing in children with Williams Syndrome. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 58(8), 746-757. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12086

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Jul 8, 2013
Online Publication Date	Aug 20, 2013
Publication Date	Aug 1, 2014
Deposit Date	Dec 4, 2013
Publicly Available Date	Dec 16, 2014
Journal	Journal of Intellectual Disability Research
Print ISSN	0964-2633
Electronic ISSN	1365-2788
Publisher	Wiley
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	58
Issue	8
Pages	746-757
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12086
Keywords	Repetitive and restricted behaviours, Sensory processing abnormalities, Williams Syndrome.

Files

Accepted Journal Article (307 Kb)
PDF

Copyright Statement
This is the accepted version of the following article: Janes, E., Riby, D. M. and Rodgers, J. (2014), Exploring the prevalence and phenomenology of repetitive behaviours and abnormal sensory processing in children with Williams Syndrome. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 58 (8): 746–757, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jir.12086. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.