Under the direction of Dr. Susan Curtiss, Ms. Nancy Jones will conduct research on the genetic disorder Williams Syndrome for her doctoral dissertation, studying how children with this disorder use grammar in storytelling. Individuals with Williams Syndrome have garnered interest because their linguistic abilities are well-preserved despite other cognitive deficits. Recent research strongly suggests, however, that while the language of Williams Syndrome individuals is strong, it is not normal; that is, there are strengths and deficits in their linguistic performance. Narrative is one genre suitable for examining the interaction of grammatical competence and expressive language abilities, including pragmatic competence. Earlier studies have looked at grammatical accuracy and complexity in narratives, but have not examined how grammatical features are used to create and develop the narrative itself. This study examines how children with Williams Syndrome use referential devices (pronouns and determiners, the, a) and cohesive devices (tense and connectives such as and, because, therefore) to develop oral narratives. The relationship between their language performance and age, age of speech onset, and verbal IQ will also be explored..
This dissertation project will contribute to a fuller understanding of the language abilities of Williams Syndrome children, one that goes beyond standardized language testing or the testing of particular grammatical structures or vocabulary. Educators, linguists and parents will gain a better idea of these children's ability to use language in real world situations where linguistic, social and pragmatic knowledge must be coordinated. This research will contribute to our understanding of the broader cognitive profile of individuals with Williams Syndrome by providing insight into the interaction between language and cognition. Transcripts of the children's stories will be contributed to the CHILDES database, making this data available to a wide audience of linguists as well as researchers in such fields as psychology, education, and communication disorders.
