The present study is a systematic review of intervention programs designed to improve the socioemotional skills of children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). The search was conducted in the Web of Science and Pubmed databases following the PRISMA guidelines. A total of six studies made up the final sample and were organized based…

The purpose of this paper was to examine the physical, emotional, social and school functioning domains of quality of life of individuals with Fragile X Syndrome, in relation to mental health and sleep patterns to gain a better understanding of how these aspects are affected by the disorder. This study included 119 individuals with Fragile X…

Children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) exhibit impaired ability to process and understand emotions in others. We measured structural connectivity in children and adolescents with 22q11.2DS (n = 28) and healthy controls (n = 29). Compared to controls, those with 22q11.2DS had poorer social skills and more difficulty…

Individuals with Williams Syndrome (WS) are hypersocial, overfriendly, and experience social skills deficits that may adversely impact their social outcomes. This study examined the relation between social skills, friendship quality, and feelings of loneliness for adults with WS as reported by 114 parent-adult with WS dyads. Results indicate that…

Adults with Williams syndrome (WS) display hypersocial behaviors and experience social skills deficits. To improve social outcomes, we evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an 8-week distance-delivered social skills program for adults with WS. Sessions were offered twice a week for 90 min. Twenty-four adults with WS…

Previous studies have suggested that girls with Turner syndrome (TS) exhibit symptoms of social anxiety during interactions with others. However, few studies have quantified these behaviors during naturalistic face-to-face social encounters. In this study, we coded observational markers of social anxiety in prepubertal girls with TS and…

To examine the potential mechanisms underlying social deficits in Turner Syndrome, we administered the empathic accuracy task (EAT)--a naturalistic social cognition task--and a (control) visual-motor line-tracking task to 14 girls with TS was compared to 12 age-matched typically developing girls (TD; ages 12 to 17). Empathic accuracy was compared…

Although children with Williams syndrome (WS) are reported to show a strong motivation towards social interaction, evidence suggests many experience difficulties with peer relations. Less is known regarding the characteristics of such difficulties. Parents and teachers of 21 children with WS (7- to 16 years) completed questionnaires measuring…

Empathy is generally described as a multidimensional construct, consisting of cognitive and affective components. Researchers demonstrate that a better ability to understand and express empathy toward others is associated with positive social outcomes such as strong communication skills and meaningful social relationships. For individuals with…

Autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome exhibit quite opposite features in the social domain, but also share some common underlying behavioral and cognitive deficits. It is not clear, however, which genes account for the attested differences (and similarities) in the socio-cognitive domain. In this article, we adopted a comparative…

The majority of the research examining children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Williams Syndrome (WS) focus on the social domain while few have examined cognitive style and emotionality. Accordingly, this current study assessed the day-to-day cognitive and behavioral functioning of school-age children with ASD, WS, and neurotypical…

Klinefelter syndrome (47,XXY) is associated with problems in social interaction and behavioral adaptation. Sixteen adolescents and adult men with 47,XXY enrolled in a pilot-study evaluating the effectiveness of Social Management Training (SMT), a novel neurocognitive-behavioral treatment program targeted at improving social, emotional, and…

Purpose: Chromosome 16p11.2 deletion syndrome (OMIM #611913) is a rare genetic condition resulting from the partial deletion of approximately 35 genes located at Chromosome 16. Affected people exhibit a variable clinical profile, featuring mild dysmorphisms, motor problems, developmental delay, mild intellectual disability (ID), socialization…

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder associated with social cognitive challenges, and pretend play has been demonstrated as a tool to achieve developmental goals. Following previous report on feasibility and acceptability of a remote, play-based parent-training program (Zyga, Russ, & Dimitropoulos, 2018), we now…

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare genetic syndrome that confers risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. Delays in social communication and early cognitive abilities are observable as early as 9 months of age in children with TSC; however, there have been no studies of early…