THE ROUGH GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGYThis finding was followed by another in 2010 by Carmelo Mario
Vicario at the Sapienza University of Rome, which showed that children
with Tourette’s were better at a task related to time processing. The kids
had to observe how long a circle appeared on-screen and then hold down
the space-bar key for the same length of time. For durations longer than
a second, there was no difference in performance between the Tourette’s
children and controls. However, for sub-second durations, the children
with Tourette’s were more accurate. The researchers aren’t certain why
children with Tourette’s show these advantages, but one possibility is
that their constant need to suppress their tics has left them with stronger
powers of control over other brain processes.
Some genetic conditions
There are a plethora of genetic disorders which affect children’s psycho-
logical and physical development. Some (like Down’s Syndrome) are
relatively common, others are less well known.
T Down’s Syndrome is the most common cause of learning disability
in children. Caused by an extra chromosome 21 – hence the formal
name “trisomy-21” – the condition results in numerous physical and
mental impairments, including low intelligence and increased risk
of Alzheimer’s Disease.
T Williams Syndrome is caused by the absence of a gene on
chromosome 7 and is characterized by visuospatial problems,
including difficulty with drawing and solving puzzles. By contrast,
language skills and face processing usually remain relatively
intact. Children with the condition are often energetic and talk in
a precocious manner.
T Turner Syndrome only affects girls and is caused by an abnormality
on one of the X chromosomes, or when one of the X chromosomes
is missing altogether. As well as physical complications such as
infertility, the condition is also associated with cognitive problems,
including memory impairment and attention deficits.
T Prada Willi Syndrome is caused by an abnormality on chromo-
some 15 and is associated with learning disabilities, an insatiable
appetite and obsessive behaviour such as hoarding.
T 22q11.2 deletion Syndrome is one of the most common forms
of learning disability. Caused by abnormalities on chromosome 22,
children with this condition typically exhibit a delay in early cognitive,
motor and language development, with an average IQ of 70–85. They
have particular difficulty performing visuospatial and numerical tasks,
with comparatively stronger verbal-test performance.