The relationship between environment and reading abilities in Williams Syndrome and Down Syndrome

Williams Syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by moderate levels of learning disability and an uneven cognitive profile (Mervis et al., 2003). Down Syndrome (DS) individuals have similar IQ scores to WS but their cognitive profiles show different strengths and weaknesses. Those with WS show reading impairments often linked to phonological deficits; however, phonological awareness alone cannot explain reading ability as scores in WS are often above what is expected given mental abilities (Menghini, Verucci & Vicari, 2004). Home environment factors such as socioeconomic status, amount of resources available and parental attitudes to reading are shown to be an important factor in typically developing children‘s reading development (Molfese, Modglin & Molfese, 2003). Using parental reports, this study investigated whether similar environmental aspects of WS and DS individuals lives will influence the development of reading ability. Furthermore, this study will explore the relationship between education received and reported reading abilities.