UTSDGs

【USR】Integration and Diffusion of Medical-Elderly Care and Higher Education Perspectives: Constructing a Social Prescription and Linking Worker Innovation and Development Hub - Intelligence Testing for Individuals with Williams Syndrome

This assessment activity involved administering the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (TONI) to 28 individuals diagnosed with Williams Syndrome, spanning a wide age range from children to adults. Given that individuals with Williams Syndrome typically demonstrate relatively strong verbal abilities but limitations in visuospatial and abstract reasoning skills, the nonverbal intelligence test was selected to more fairly represent their cognitive profiles. The assessments were conducted individually using the standardized TONI-4 version. Overall, the majority of participants were friendly, cooperative, and able to complete the test items under examiner guidance. Some child participants displayed short attention spans or impulsive responses during the initial phase due to nervousness or overexcitement; brief reminders and positive reinforcement were effective in helping them stabilize their performance. Most adolescent and adult participants maintained good attention; however, frustration reactions—such as silence, self-talk, or requests for assistance—were observed on more difficult items due to reasoning challenges. In terms of response patterns, most participants performed well on basic visual matching and categorization tasks. However, performance declined significantly on items requiring visual rotation and complex figure-based reasoning, which is consistent with common characteristics of Williams Syndrome, including visuospatial integration difficulties and a cognitive profile marked by strong verbal but weaker performance skills. The assessment process was conducted smoothly. As a nonverbal tool, TONI effectively minimizes the influence of language skills in intelligence evaluation, offering a more balanced understanding of cognitive abilities in individuals with Williams Syndrome. For future clinical judgment and intervention planning, it is recommended to supplement with assessments of daily functioning and verbal abilities to form a more comprehensive evaluation.

Implemented by Center for Teaching and Learning Development
Date: 2025/05/04