Adaptive (living) skills

Adaptive Behaviour Skills in Angelman Syndrome

• Adaptive behaviour skills describes a person’s everyday living skills such as washing, dressing and communication.
• An overview of adaptive behaviour skills in Angelman syndrome is provided below.

• Self-help Skills
  • Self-help skills in Angelman syndrome vary widely. Skills such as washing, dressing and feeding require careful control of the small muscles in our hands or feet (described as our fine motor control) and planning. Many children and adults will need help with these daily tasks.  Fine motor control is often challenging for individuals with Angelman syndrome. Children may reach for an object and miss and then over-correct the movement, leading to jerky hand movements. The development of self-help skills may be delayed among children with Angelman syndrome but some do achieve a degree of independence in this area. Adults with Angelman syndrome will need continued support with day to day living.
• Mobility
  • A child with Angelman syndrome will start walking between 2 and a half and six years of age. However, around 3 out of 10 children with Angelman syndrome do not learn to walk independently.
  • Research has shown that there are differences in mobility between the different genetic subtypes of Angelman syndrome. Individuals with the deletion subtype are the most severely affected with 50% not being able to walk by the age of 5. In contrast around 95% of individuals with Angelman syndrome not caused by deletion are able to walk by the age of 5.
• Communication Skills
  • Verbal communication skills in Angelman syndrome are often severely impaired and most individuals with Angelman syndrome will not use words to communicate. However, there are some individuals with Angelman syndrome that can use one or two word phrases. Expressive communication skills (ability to express oneself) are usually more impaired relative to receptive language skills (ability to understand others). Difficulties with other areas of expressive communication have also been reported including gesture, signing and the use of alternative communication devices. Individuals with Angelman syndrome often use non-verbal strategies to communicate including, for example, approach, touch and pushing a person’s hand away.  Some older children may be able to sign or use communication boards whereby they point to what they want.

In the video below, Prof Chris Oliver and Dr Effie Pearson review research exploring communication and speech in Angelman syndrome. 

• • • Communication Skills and Behaviours That Challenge
      • Impaired expressive communication is not unique to Angelman syndrome; it is also seen in other conditions such as Cri du Chat and Cornelia de Lange syndromes. This impairment can lead to frustration and behaviours that challenge if individuals cannot express themselves effectively. Creating a communication passport, which outlines preferred communication methods, may help reduce frustration and behaviours that challenge.
    • Social Skills
      • Social skills are often considered to be a relative strength in Angelman syndrome and are a key characteristic of individuals with the syndrome.