The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania opened a specialty center focused on Williams syndrome, a condition characterized by extreme friendliness and intellectual disabilities. Director Jocelyn Krebs, who has researched the disorder and has a son with it, emphasizes the center's potential to be life-changing for families. Equipped with tools like a sensory room, the center provides comprehensive care in collaboration with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. It aims to enhance treatment options and interventions for the estimated 20,000 to 30,000 individuals in the U.S. with the syndrome, addressing both health challenges and social integration.
"This center is going to be life-changing for families," said Jocelyn Krebs, director of the Armellino Center of Excellence for Williams Syndrome.
"Suddenly I went from a scientist who understood Williams syndrome very deeply in one way to a mom trying to figure out, what do you do with a kid that has these various challenges?" Krebs said.
"A behavior that is very characteristic of Williams syndrome, sometimes called the cocktail party syndrome... is this incredible friendliness, hypersociability," Krebs said.
"With the right kinds of early intervention, people with Williams are able to thrive. This center will help assure that can happen and look for better treatments and new hope for brighter futures."
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