Jo Van Herwegen

UCL Institute of Education · Department of Psychology and Human Development

Young people with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) have been reported to experience increased levels of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. In our study, we document how young people with Down Syndrome (DS; N=557) and Williams syndrome (WS, N=247) experienced the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic across the world. Using multilevel linear mi...

Background Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders often have atypical emotion profiles, but little is known about how they regulate their emotions. While several studies have examined emotion regulation strategy use in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), only a few have included individuals with intellectual disability (ID) or focused on specifi...

Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic syndrome. As with all rare syndromes, obtaining adequately powered sample sizes is a challenge. Here we present legacy data from seven UK labs, enabling the characterisation of cross-sectional and longitudinal developmental trajectories of verbal and non-verbal development in the largest sample of individual...

Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic syndrome. As with all rare syndromes, obtaining adequately powered sample sizes is a challenge. Here we present legacy data from seven UK labs, enabling the characterisation of cross-sectional and longitudinal developmental trajectories of verbal and non-verbal development in the largest sample of individual...

Background: This study examines school exclusion and truancy in relation to both conduct

Portraying the voices of children with complex genetic neurodevelopmental disorders about their health, care and education needs in their statutory documents is a challenging task. This study examined the ways by which the perspectives of children diagnosed with Down Syndrome (DS) and Williams Syndrome (WS) are portrayed in their statutory document...

BACKGROUND: This study examines school exclusion and truancy in relation to both conduct and emotional problems. It considers these mental health problems both as predictors and as outcomes of school exclusion and truancy.METHOD: The sample included 15,236 individuals from the Millennium Cohort Study, a UK longitudinal birth cohort study. Using sub...

The block design task (BDT) is a visuospatial measure that individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) perform poorly on. However, it is unclear what underlies their impaired performance. This study investigated whether poorer performance is a result of visuospatial difficulties, executive function (EF) difficulties, atypical looking strategies, or a c...

The COVID-19 pandemic’s disruptions to daily routines and services have proven especially challenging for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. The current retrospective study aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic’s social environmental changes on parental ratings of personal and child concerns about fami...

Aims The UK has faced 3 major lockdowns since March 2020 due to the pandemic, affecting access to education, healthcare provision and social activities. Children with Down Syndrome are more likely to have chronic health conditions and require developmental support, therefore are more likely to be impacted by healthcare delays and the move to remote...

This study examined individual differences as well as the development of sensory processing difficulties in children with Williams syndrome (WS) using a cross-sectional (Experiment 1) and longitudinal design (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, a clustering approach of sensory processing scores suggested two groups. Experiment 2 showed that the cluster...

COVID-19 has affected people across the world. However, it has been suggested that individuals with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families might have been particularly impacted by the first national lockdown in the UK. In contrast to previous studies, the current study examined wellbeing and anxiety at different time poi...

Educational maths applications (apps) are an emerging trend in children’s learning environments aiming to raise their mathematical attainment. However, with over 200,000 educational apps available within the App Store (Apple, 2014), deciding which apps to use poses a significant challenge to teachers, parents, and policy makers. The current study a...

The current paper examined the impact of the transition from primary to secondary school on anxiety for children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs), specifically for autistic children, children with Down Syndrome (DS) and Williams Syndrome (WS). Previous research has highlighted the impact such educational changes can have upon autistic child...

The current paper examined the impact of the transition from primary to secondary school on anxiety for children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs), specifically for autistic children, children with Down Syndrome (DS) and Williams Syndrome (WS). Previous research has highlighted the impact such educational changes can have upon autistic child...

The overall goal of the ISEE Assessment is to pool multi-disciplinary expertise on educational systems and reforms from a range of stakeholders in an open and inclusive manner, and to undertake a scientifically robust and evidence based assessment that can inform education policy-making at all levels and on all scales. Its aim is not to be policy p...

Spatial thinking predicts Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics achievement, yet is often absent from educational policy. We provide the first benchmarks of teachers’ usage and perceptions of spatial activities in practice in the reception classroom. Using a questionnaire study with educational professionals working in the reception (4-5...

The present study explored the effects of the pandemic on individuals with Down Syndrome (DS; n = 67) compared to other groups with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND; n = 48) and their Typically Developing Siblings (TDS; n = 56). In total, 115 caregivers reported on their own anxiety and worries and of their children. Anxiety levels fo...

The present study explored the effects of the pandemic on individuals with Down Syndrome (n= 67) compared to other SEND diagnoses (n= 48) and their Typically Developing Siblings (n= 56). In total, 115 caregivers reported on their own anxiety and worries as well as of their children. Anxiety levels for individuals with Down syndrome appeared to be l...

On average, teachers spend 10.5 days per year attending courses, workshops, conferences, seminars, observation visits, or other in-service training (Sellen, 2016). The rationale for this substantial investment in professional development (PD) is clear: meta-analyses find that teacher PD programmes tend to improve pupil academic achievement (Fletche...

Neuromyths are commonly held misconceptions about the brain believed by both the general public and educators. While much research has investigated the prevalence of myths about the typically developing brain, less attention has been devoted to the pervasiveness of neuromyths about neurodevelopmental disorders, which have the potential to exacerbat...

The COVID-19 pandemic has a multifaceted impact on mental health due to ill health, restrictions and lockdowns, and loss of employment and institutional support. COVID-19 may disproportionally impact families with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) due to the already higher prevalence of mental health conditions in children with SEND...

Difficulties in processing humor have been associated with individuals with autism. The current study investigated whether humor comprehension and appreciation could be augmented in children with autism by providing contextual support suggesting that humor was to be expected. A verbally presented riddle task was used in which participants were asse...

Background and aims: Research on typically developing (TD) populations has shown that the home learning environment plays a significant role in cognitive development and learning, but very little is known about the home learning environment of children with Down syndrome (DS) or children with Williams syndrome (WS). The present study examined and...

Although they have the potential to excel, twice-exceptional (2e) students of mathematics do not usually have this opportunity as their special educational abilities, and special needs, are often misdiagnosed or “missed” diagnosed in schools due to the teachers’ lack of knowledge. The study explored this issue using an electronic survey for primary...

Aims Previous international research has shown that autistic people have difficulty accessing dental care due to sensory processing, anxiety and communication issues. However, it is not known whether autistic adults in the United Kingdom are experiencing similar dental care barriers. The current study investigated autistic adults’ dental experience...

The preschool learning environment is vital for young children’s learning and development. This study reports, for the first time in the UK, an online survey of 83 preschool practitioners’ perceptions, classroom practices, and beliefs towards mathematics. Surveyed preschool practitioners rated life skills and literacy as more important than mathema...

Individuals with special education needs have been particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as they have been shown to be at high risk of losing medical and institutional support at a time when people are being asked to stay isolated, suffering increased anxiety and depression as a consequence. Their families have often found themselves under...

This study examined the contribution of working memory (WM) above and beyond other domain general (e.g., processing speed; PS) and domain specific abilities (e.g., Approximate Number System; ANS) for mathematical performance in low achieving (LA) preschool children. Pre-schoolers aged 3 to 5 years (N = 139) were included in the study. Children perf...

COVID-19 has affected people across the world. However, it has been suggested that individuals with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families might have been particularly impacted by the first national lockdown in the UK. In contrast to previous studies, the current study examined wellbeing and anxiety at different time poi...

There has been an increase in cognitive assessment via the Internet, especially since the coronavirus disease 2019 surged the need for remote psychological assessment. This is the first study to investigate the appropriability of conducting cognitive assessments online with children with a neurodevelopmental condition and intellectual disability, n...

Background and aims Mathematical difficulties in individuals with Williams Syndrome (WS) and in individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) are well-established. Perceptual subitizing and conceptual subitizing are domain-specific precursors of mathematical achievement in typically developing (TD) population. This study employed, for the first time, eye-tra...

The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has interrupted many routines and practices, including the education of young people. Many students are currently receiving some or all of their education online. Ensuring that online learning can be accessed by students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) can be a challenge. This guidance was written for tea...

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Williams Syndrome Foundation and to raise awareness of Williams syndrome, we have put together 40 research-evidenced facts about Williams syndrome. Williams Syndrome is a rare genetic condition that is caused by a deletion of genetic material on the long arm of chromosome 7. It occurs sporadically in about 1...

Vision problems can lead to negative developmental outcomes. Children with Williams syndrome and Down syndrome are at higher risk of vision problems, and these are less likely to be detected due to diagnostic overshadowing and difficulty accessing eye-care. Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans are statutory documents, introduced by the Children a...

Background Studies in Down syndrome (DS) and Williams syndrome (WS) have suggested that mathematical abilities are impaired. However, it is unclear which domain‐general or domain‐specific abilities impact on mathematical development in these developmental disorders. Method The current study examined the foundations of mathematical development acro...

Background: The current systematic review is the first to systematically explore and synthesis research to date on mathematical abilities in Williams syndrome (WS), a rare genetic disorder that results in an uneven cognitive profile. As mathematical development is complex and relies on both domain-specific and domain-general abilities, it is curre...

Previous studies suggest that tasks dependent on the mental number line may be difficult for Williams Syndrome (WS) and Down Syndrome (DS) groups. However, few have directly assessed number line estimation in these groups. The current study assessed 28 WS, 25 DS and 25 typically developing (TD) participants in non-verbal intelligence, number famili...

Humor appreciation and understanding is important for children's social relationships. The current study examined the associations among riddle comprehension, riddle appreciation, and smiling/laughter in children from a wide age range (4-11 years) as well as how cognitive processing style relates to riddle comprehension. Style was distinguished bet...

It has been reported that approximate number sense (ANS) task performance is impaired in individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) and Down syndrome (DS). Research with infants has suggested this impairment is caused by sticky fixation in WS and sustained attention deficits for those with DS. This study examined looking patterns of older children and...

Background Professionals play a key role in supporting children with special educational needs in schools. However, the views of those working with neurodevelopmental disorders are less known. Aims This study examined the views of professionals (including teachers, teaching assistants, educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, phy...

Manipulative artefacts are considered useful scaffolds of arithmetic during early years education, but their use is considered less important as children get older. Yet adult arithmetic performance often recruits artefacts to improve accuracy and efficiency, and so the same benefits should accrue to children beyond early years. We propose that inte...

UCL Institute of Education have published a report on the Drivers, Demand and Supply of SEND CPD. This is part of the Whole School SEND programme, which is hosted by nasen and funded by the Department for Education (DfE), to help embed SEND into teacher training, CPD and School Improvement. It focuses on areas of school-linked SEND-related CPD: the...

Williams Syndrome (WS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder associated with a specific cognitive profile of strengths and impairments. It has been argued that studying cognitive development of this disorder would not only allow improved knowledge of WS but also provide insight into alternative pathways in development. However, due to the rarity an...

Sotos syndrome is a congenital overgrowth syndrome associated with intellectual disability. This study investigated communicative abilities of children with Sotos syndrome (n = 31), using the Children’s Communication Checklist, second edition. A cross-syndrome approach was used to establish the specificity of these abilities. Children with Williams...

Background Although parental stress is higher for children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs), it is unclear how this stress compares to more common NDs. The current study compared stress in parents of children with Williams syndrome (WS), Down syndrome (DS) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The impact of individual and contextual factors w...

Background Sotos syndrome is a congenital overgrowth condition associated with intellectual disability and an uneven cognitive profile. Previous research has established that individuals with Sotos syndrome have relatively poor mathematical ability, but domain‐specific numeracy skills have not been explored within this population. This study invest...

This study examined the extent to which a first language (L1) influences a second language (L2). We explored this potential influence by evaluating participant responses for semantic and syntactic word strings composed from the 1K British National Corpora word list. We investigated two different first language groups, and assessed their responses t...

This study examined the extent to which a first language (L1) influences a second language (L2). We explored this potential influence by evaluating participant responses for semantic and syntactic word strings composed from the 1K British National Corpora word list. We investigated two different first language groups, and assessed their responses t...

Background The current study examined parents’ views about their child’s educational provision for children with Williams syndrome (WS), Down syndrome (DS), and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Aims This cross-syndrome comparison explored the specific and general difficulties that parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders experience ab...

Previous studies have shown that comprehension of figurative language is impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, most studies have focused on lexicalized expressions and have only examined performance at one particular point in time, without examining how performance changes over development. The current study examined...

Background: Although previous correlational studies have shown that both symbolic and non-symbolic abilities relate to mathematical abilities, correlational studies cannot show the cause and effect of these abilities for mathematical success. Aims: The current study examined the effect of a non-symbolic training program, called PLUS and a symbol...

Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder associated with physical health problems, limitations in cognitive abilities and increased risk of mental health difficulties. This profile of complex needs may make it challenging to support children with WS in schools. Surprisingly, in the current international move for inclusion, limited...

Background: Different domain-specific and domain-general cognitive precursors play a key role in the development of mathematical abilities. The contribution of these domains to mathematical ability changes during development. Primary school-aged children who show mathematical difficulties form a heterogeneous group, but it is not clear whether thi...

L2 models developed in response to L1 (Levelt, 1989) Various attempts to account for L2 lexical development (e.g. Jiang, 2000; Jiang, 2002; Pavlenko, 2009; Thierry & Wu 2011) Suggestions that different bilinguals develop at different rates Potential implications for pedagogy and practice?

Previous studies in both typically and atypically developing children have shown that approximate number system (ANS) abilities predict formal mathematical knowledge later on in life. The current study investigated whether playing specially designed training games that targets the ANS system using nonsymbolic stimuli only would improve preschool ch...

Background: Successful navigation is crucial to everyday life. Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) have impaired spatial abilities. This includes a deficit in spatial navigation abilities such as learning the route from A to B. To-date, to determine whether participants attend to landmarks when learning a route, landmark recall tasks have been...

This study tests Jiang’s (2004) 3-stage model of second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition. Jiang observed continued first language (L1) [Korean] semantic mediation in L2 processing among advanced L2 speakers. We hypothesise, however, that mediation might depend on the developing proficiency of the L2 learner and the relationship between L1 and L...

The current study explored the looking behaviours of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Williams syndrome (WS), and typically developing (TD) children while they were administered a low-verbal Theory of Mind (ToM) task. Although ToM performance in both clinical groups was impaired, only participants with WS showed small difference...

People with Williams syndrome (WS), a rare neurodevelopmental disorder that is caused by a deletion on the long arm of chromosome 7, often show an uneven cognitive profile with participants performing better on language and face recognition tasks, in contrast to visuospatial and number tasks. Recent studies have shown that this specific cognitive p...

Book synopsis: The first comprehensive review of this topic in many years, providing a much needed text in the field of psychology Brings together leading researchers from a range of fields including, psychology, neuroscience, education, cultural psychology, and philosophy Explores the psychological and neural bases of numberical cognition, and als...

Unlabelled: Although individuals with Williams syndrome are very sociable, they tend to have limited contact and friendships with peers. In typically developing children the use of positive emotions (e.g., happy) has been argued to be related to peer relationships and popularity. The current study investigated the use and development of emotion wo...

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulty comprehending metaphors. However, no study to date has examined whether or not they understand conceptual metaphors (i.e. mappings between conceptual structures), which could be the building blocks of metaphoric thinking and understanding. We investigated whether 13 participants with A...

Structured games designed to encourage children to estimate numbers can improve their mathematical abilitieslater on in life. Dr Jo Van Herwegen explains how the approach works.

Unlabelled: Previous studies that have investigated the relationship between performance on theory of mind (ToM) tasks and verbal abilities in individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) have reported contradictory findings with some showing that language abilities aid performance on ToM tasks while others have found that participants with WS fail the...

This study investigated the development of novel metaphor and metonymy comprehension in both typically developing (TD) children and individuals with Williams syndrome (WS). Thirty-one TD children between the ages of 3;09 and 17;01 and thirty-four individuals with WS between the ages of 7;01 and 44 years old were administered a newly developed task...

The infancy literature situates the perceptual narrowing of speech sounds at around 10 months of age, but little is known about the mechanisms that influence individual differences in this developmental milestone. We hypothesized that such differences might in part be explained by characteristics of mother-child interaction. Infant sensitivity to s...