International Angelman Syndrome Day
A British physician by the name of Dr. Harry Angelman first introduced Angelman syndrome into medical literature in 1965. International Angelman Syndrome Day was established in 2002 by the Angelman Syndrome Foundation with the support of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the University of Toronto, and other medical and child health organizations. International Angelman Syndrome Day was created to celebrate those with Angelman Syndrome throughout the world.
What is Angelman Syndrome?
Angelman syndrome is a rare genetic and neurological disorder affecting approximately one in 15,000 individuals with around 500,000 cases worldwide. Like all intellectual and developmental disabilities, Angelman Syndrome is associated with a broad spectrum of possible symptoms that vary from person to person.
Some of the more common characteristics of Angelman syndrome are delayed development, challenges with balance, intellectual disabilities, and debilitating seizures. Most but not all individuals with Angelman syndrome are nonverbal. A very unique symptom of Angelman syndrome is a happy demeanor. You’ll often find that people with Angelman syndrome have happy eyes and smile and laugh a lot. Characteristic traits of Angelman syndrome are not usually apparent at birth and diagnosis is usually made between 1 and 4 years of age.
Angelman Syndrome and Similar Conditions
Angelman syndrome shares symptoms and characteristics with other conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy and Prader-Willi syndrome. The syndrome is also often comorbid with autism and has some genetic traits in common with autism. As a result of the shared characteristics and comorbidity, misdiagnosis of Angelman syndrome is fairly common.
Angelman syndrome is a syndrome caused by loss of function in the UBE3A gene in the fifteenth chromosome inherited from the mother. Other disorders associated with chromosome 15 changes include Autism, Prader-Willi syndromes, and Dup15q syndrome.
Resources for Angelman Syndrome
- Facility Tour Checklist
- The Angelman Journey
- Fact Sheet About Angelman Syndrome
- Angelman Syndrome Foundation PSA Video
- Transitioning to Adulthood Checklist
- ARC Build Your Plan Tool
Through education, information, research, and support for individuals with Angelman syndrome and their families, International Angelman Syndrome Day aims to advance awareness and treatment of Angelman syndrome. Learn more about how you can make a huge impact for individuals with Angelman Syndrome and their families as well as future generations.
About Stephen’s Place
Stephen’s Place is an independent apartment community for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, located in Vancouver, WA (7 minutes from Portland, OR).
If you have a loved one with developmental or intellectual disabilities who is looking for a community to live in, please contact us for more information.
Stephen’s Place is a private-pay apartment community due to our state-of-the-art amenities and programs. We are a nonprofit and do not profit from our community. We are private pay because we spend more than some housing communities to ensure that our residents are comfortable and can safely live their lives with independence and dignity.
