The role of visual-spatial skills in learning to read: The case of Williams Syndrome
The research on reading in the context of Williams Syndrome (WS) suggests difficulty with learning automatic reflexes. Literacy research has indicated phonological and mnemic difficulties, and, more recently, problems with visual-spatial processing. This article sets out to determine the role of visual-spatial processing in learning to read in persons with WS. Fourteen individuals with WS were administered standardized tests to measure their level of reading, phonological, mnemic and visual-spatial ability. The results suggest that visual-spatial skills impact reading development for individuals with SW compared to same-reading-age controls. These results are discussed with a view to addressing and remediating reading development difficulties.