Thus, people with WS are often able to visually identify and recognize whole objects, and refer to them by name, but struggle with visuospatial construction (seeing an object as being composed of many smaller parts, and recreating it) and orienting themselves in space.People with WS are often affable and hyperverbal, demonstrating the decreased inhibition ability that stems from dorsal-frontal deficits. Some studies suggest that the amygdala of a person with Williams syndrome has greater volume than the average persons (though it is smaller than average in childhood). In general, neuroimaging studies demonstrate that people with WS have diminished amygdala reactivity in response to socially frightening stimuli (such as disapproving faces), but demonstrate hyperreactivity in the amygdala when presented with nonsocial fear stimuli (such as frightening animals). This may partially account for the apparent absence of social inhibition observed in people with the syndrome, as well as the prevalence of anxious symptoms (but see fear for details on the relationship between the amygdala and fear response). Also, some evidence indicates that people with WS exhibit  amygdalal hyperactivity when viewing happy facial expressions. They are talkative and eager to please, indicating a cocktail party personality.Increased volume and activation of the left auditory cortex has been observed in people with WS, which has been interpreted as a neural correlation of patients rhythm propensity and fondness of music. Similar sizes of the auditory cortex have been previously reported only in professional musicians.
Impaired motor ability persists (and possibly worsens) as children with WS reach adolescence.Adults and adolescents with Williams syndrome typically achieve a below-average height and weight, compared with unaffected populations. As people with WS age, they frequently develop joint limitations and hypertonia, or abnormally increased muscle tone. Hypertension, gastrointestinal problems, and genitourinary symptoms often persist into adulthood, as well as cardiovascular problems. Adults  are typically limited in their ability to live independently or work in competitive employment settings, but this developmental impairment is attributed more to psychological symptoms than physiological problems. Social and psychological
People with Williams syndrome report higher anxiety levels as well as phobia development, which may be associated with hyperacusis (high sensitivity to certain frequencies of sound). Compared with other children with delays, those with Williams syndrome display a significantly greater number of fears. 35% of these children met the DSM definition of having a phobia as compared with 1–4.3% for those with other types of developmental delays. Williams syndrome is also strongly associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and related psychological symptoms such as poor concentration, hyperactivity, and social disinhibition.Furthermore, cognitive abilities (IQs) of people with WMS typically range from mild to moderate levels of intellectual disability. One study of 306 children with Williams syndrome found IQ scores ranging from 40 to 112 with a mean of 69.32 (the mean IQ score of the general population is 100). IQ scores above this range have been reported in people with smaller genetic deletions.