The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of a behavioral treatment package to reduce chronic sleep problems in children with Angelman Syndrome. Participants were five children, 2-11 years-of-age. Parents maintained sleep diaries to record sleep and disruptive nighttime behaviors. Actigraphy was added to provide…

Autism and the related pervasive developmental disorders are a heavily researched group of neurodevelopmental conditions. In addition to core symptoms, there are a number of other physical and motor conditions that co-occur at high rates. This paper provides a review of factors and behaviors that correlate highly with disorders on the autism…

Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a genetically determined neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a heterozygous deletion of 26-28 genes on chromosome band 7q11.23. During the past few years, researchers and clinicians have significantly contributed to define the phenotype of the syndrome, including its cognitive and behavioral aspects. However, it…

Moebius sequence is a rare congenital disorder usually defined as a combination of facial weakness with impairment of ocular abduction. It is questionable, whether there is a strong association of the sequence with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) as suggested in some earlier case reports and studies. Twenty-two participants with Moebius sequence…

Background: Kinship theory suggests that genomic imprinting could account for phenotypic behaviors that increase (in the case of Angelman syndrome) or decrease (for Prader-Willi syndrome) the drive to access social resources (adult contact) depending on the imprinting parent-of-origin. Difficult to manage behaviors, such as aggression that is…