TIP of the WEEK: PWS Awareness Month
May 26, 2017
During the month of May we formally celebrate the extraordinary people in our lives that live with PWS. Use the last few days of this month to spread awareness and highlight the struggles, accomplishments, and truly unique aspects of the people living every day with a syndrome that so few know about.
Interesting Facts about PWS:
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Many people with PWS have sensory processing issues. Be mindful of their environment. Lights too bright? Is their space cluttered? Too much background noise? Simple changes to the environment can have a big, positive impact.
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People diagnosed with PWS are generally very black and white thinkers. Abstraction and the unknown are difficult for them. They tend to thrive in predictable, routine environments. They are excellent rule followers just remember to use patience and lots of preparation if a pre-existing rule needs to change.
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PWS is a complex, multi system syndrome. PWS is also a spectrum disorder which means that some of the challenges may be more complex for some and milder for others. These challenges can change throughout the years making it important to be prepared for everything.
Patrice Carroll is Latham Centers’ world-renowned Prader-Willi Syndrome specialist. She works with Latham Centers’ residents with PWS, their families and consultants, continuously learning and teaching about PWS best practices.