Autism and Williams syndrome: truly mirror conditions in the socio-cognitive domain?
Amy Niego, Antonio Benítez‐Burraco
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Williams Syndrome (WS) are frequently characterized as mirror conditions in the socio-cognitive domain, with ASD entailing restrictive social interests and with WS exhibiting hypersociability. In this review paper, we examine in detail the strong points and deficits of people with ASD or WS in the socio-cognitive domain and show that both conditions also share some common features. Moreover, we explore the neurobiological basis of the social profile of ASD and WS and found a similar mixture of common affected areas and condition-specific impaired regions. We discuss these findings under the hypothesis of a continuum of the socio-cognitive abilities in humans.
Topics & Concepts
AutismPsychologyCognitionWilliams syndromeSocial cognitionTheory of mindAutism spectrum disorderDevelopmental psychologyAsperger syndromeCognitive psychologyPsychiatryWilliams Syndrome ResearchAutism Spectrum Disorder ResearchGenetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders