Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Examining Gesture Production in the Presence of Communication Challenges
Published on: January 26, 2024
Atypical verbal communication pattern according to others' attention in children with Williams syndrome
Kosuke Asada1, Kiyotaka Tomiwa, Masako Okada
1Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan. kousuke@ka1.mbox.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
Children with Williams syndrome (WS) have been reported to often face problems in daily communication and to have deficits in their pragmatic language abilities. To test this hypothesis, we examined whether children with WS could modify their verbal communication according to others' attention in order to share what they did. The children with WS and typically developing (TD) children were asked to accomplish tasks as quickly as possible while the experimenter was attending to or not attending to them during and after their accomplishment. The results showed that although TD children verbalized more when they were not attended to than attended to, children with WS verbalized more when they were attended to than not attended to. The results indicate that children with WS may have deficits in attention-sharing communication, suggesting a part of their pragmatic abilities is impaired.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Autism Spectrum Disorder
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
Therapeutic Communication
Verbal communication depends on language or a prescribed way of using words so that people can share information effectively. The critical aspects of verbal...
Channels of Non-Verbal Communication
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and...
Non-Verbal Cues

