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Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a rare neuro-genetic disorder first described by pediatrician Dr. Harry Angelan in 1965. He noted that these children had some traits in common: an unstable jerky gait, unusually happy demeanor, variable and severe developmental delays, lack of speech, small head size, abnormal electroencephalograms, and seizure disorder.
Other noted features are sleep disturbances, flattened back of the head, excessive drooling, chewing, and other oral behaviours, hyperactivity, hypopigmentation, wide-based gait, and feeding problems in infancy.
AS is most often diagnosed in children between the ages of two and five years old. It is often misdiagnosed as Autism or Cerebral Palsy. With increasing public awareness of the condition and improved diagnostic tests, more children are being diagnosed. Children and adults with AS will need lifelong care, however, there are no current schools or facilities dedicated solely to aiding people with this disorder.