Whether it’s 90 degrees and humid or 70 degrees and cloudy, summer is just around the corner. That means it’s time to prepare and plan your summer fun! For individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome, summer fun must include plans for heat precaution as they often have difficulty regulating body temperature and can overheat easily. Here are some...
Category: Blog
Narcolepsy as a Characteristic of Prader-Willi Syndrome
Althea Shelton, MD and Jessica Duis, MD, MS Use of growth hormone requires a baseline sleep study prior to use and one at 8-10 weeks after initiation. Beyond this, when we see a child or adult in clinic who is having excessive daytime sleepiness and/or worsening behavioral concerns among other symptoms (e.g., headaches or bedwetting),...
Bringing Hope: A Mother’s Perspective
By Kristi Rickenbach, mother to Justice age 15 with PWS, board member, PWSA (USA) “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” ~ Helen Keller There are things that happen in our lives that we have no control over- things we wish we could change....
A Grandparent’s Perspective
Our precious grandson Joshua was born six weeks early on December 27, 2017. He weighed just 4 lbs. 6 oz. and was 16.5 in. long. Joshua’s mom, our daughter, Kelly, was hospitalized for premature labor, but when Joshy was born a month later something wasn’t right. He was floppy, had a very weak cry, didn’t...
A Sibling’s Perspective
I was 10 years old when my brother was born in the summer of 2003. This was an extremely exciting time for me as I was the youngest of my three other siblings and couldn’t wait to finally have a little sibling of my own to pick on. Admittedly, I was also a little jealous...
PWS Awareness Month – Week 3
Not on social media? No problem! PWSA (USA)’s daily PWS Awareness Month posts are available right here for you to access anytime. Day 20 Hypogonadism (a condition in which the testicles are not working the way they should) and cryptorchidism (undescended testes) are both common newborn males with PWS and can lead to delayed...
Exercise and Behavior
You’ve heard exercise is good for physical health, but did you know research also shows exercise is beneficial to mental health and mood? According to the Mayo Clinic, physicalactivity stimulates endorphins in the brain that elevate mood and encourage relaxation. Exercise can fend off depression and anxiety in individuals with PWS and can even combat...
PWS Awareness Month Week 2 Mini Blog – Positive Behavioral Support
So far, we have looked at some of the many reasons negative behaviors occur, as well as behavior management techniques helpful with individual with Prader-Willi syndrome. Positive Behavioral Supportis another essential tool for caregivers. Positive behavioral support can help decrease tantrums, reduce perseverative and OCD like behaviors, and increase cooperation and effective transitions through activities....
PWS Awareness Month Week 2 Mini Blog – Oppositional Behavior
Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome often demonstrate oppositional behavior, another challenge for parents and caregivers. Tips for managing oppositional behavior include: Avoid yes and no questions. Instead, offer limited choices. Rather than asking, “Do you want to wear your red coat,” try offering two choices: “Do you want to wear your red or blue coat?” It...
PWS AWARENESS MONTH WEEK 2 MINI BLOG – Perseverating
Perseverating, or getting stuck on a topic or task, or repeating the same question or phrase over and over again, is common in Prader-Willi syndrome. Often, the repetitive behavior is provoked by anxiety as the repetition provides a level of comfort to an individual with PWS. Unfortunately, perseverating can be exhausting for parents and caregivers. Here...
PWS Awareness Month Week 2 Mini Blog – Managing an Outburst
My loved one with PWS is having a behavior outburst, tantrum or meltdown. What can I do? Being prepared and working with the individual with PWS to understand a triggering situation while helping them manage their anxiety can make difficult situation much easier to handle. Use a calm tone of voice. Yelling or...
PWS Awareness Month Week 2 Mini Blog – Behavioral Outbursts
Many individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome face emotional and behavioral challenges that present as outbursts. However, whether it’s caused by a change in routine or the presence (or absence) of food outbursts can be managed. For example, maintaining food security and adhering to a set schedule for snacks and meals will decrease food-related anxiety, and providing...
Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month
By Stacy Ward May is National PWS Awareness Month! PWS Awareness Month came to be thanks to the efforts of Amy Porter and Prader-Willi California Foundation members, Tom and Renay Compere, who brought the syndrome and the needs of the PWS community to the attention of Republican Congressman Ed Royce and Democratic Congresswoman Jane Harman. The...
PWS Awareness Month: Week 1
Not on social media? No problem! PWSA (USA)’s daily PWS Awareness Month posts are available right here for you to access anytime. Day 1 May is Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month! Republican Congressman Ed Royce and Democratic Congresswoman Jane Harman co-sponsored the original House Resolution thanks to efforts by Amy Porter (Aunt to Colorado’s young...
NUTRITION and HEALTHY LIVING
By: Stacy Ward, Director of Family/Medical Support & Special Projects Parents and families of loved ones diagnosed with Prader-Willi syndrome have an array of concerns as their children move through life. By far one of their greatest struggles and worries is adequate nutrition and healthy living. PWSA (USA)’s Family and Medical Support counselors receive...
69 Years with Prader-Willi Syndrome and Still Strong
Contributed by PWSA | USA Alterman Family Support Counselor Kim Tula, MS, CSW Prader-Willi syndrome was first diagnosed in 1956; only 63 years ago. With supportive living and specialized care, we are now seeing individuals with PWS living longer and healthier lives. Susan Booth (Boothie) is one of those people. Susan was born March 18,...
Easter Fun
By: Kim Tula, Family Support Counselor For many, Easter is a fun and joy-filled holiday, but for individuals with PWS and their families and caregivers, it can also be full of worry. The anticipation of large family dinners, Easter Egg hunts, and candy-filled baskets left by the Easter Bunny can result in increased anxiety and...
Receiving the Diagnosis
by Amanda Yanik The first and only person that mentioned Prader-Willi syndrome to us while our daughter Saoirse was in the NICU was the incomparable geneticist, Chin-To Fong, M.D.. I have a vague recollection of him coming in on a Friday night after the first week of our NICU stay. He mentioned a previous patient of...
Tips for Better Sleep
Quality sleep is vital to our physical and mental health, as well as our emotional wellbeing. Yet, many of us struggle to get a good night sleep on a regular basis. Now, imagine if you were rarely able to get a good night’s rest and the impact that accumulated “sleep deficit” would eventually have on...
Tips and Techniques for a Safe Holiday Season
by Lisa Graziano, MA., LMFT Based on the original article by Katherine Crawford, Former PWCF Family Support Coordinator Whatever holiday you and your family celebrate, PWSA (USA) wants to help you make it both fun and safe. The key is to plan well ahead of time and strategically, incorporating the strategies outlined in this...
Applied Behavior Analysis and PWS Part 2: The A-B-C’s of Behavior
By: Cindy Szapacs, M.Ed. BCBA In the first entry for this series, a description of applied behavior analysis (ABA) was presented. It was discussed that ABA is a set of principles, not a specific intervention, that can be used to teach people of all ages and abilities to acquire socially significant behaviors using research-based...
Event: Foundation for Prader-Willi Research Annual Research Symposium and Conference
Held October 4 – 6, 2018 in Las Vegas Nevada, the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research Annual Research Symposium and Conference started with the Research Symposium during which numerous abstracts and preliminary results were presented from the podium. Most evidence was findings from pre-clinical phase research and phase 2 trials. All evidence was very promising and many trials are...
Halloween Fun for Everyone!
Children, and many adults, look forward to Halloween with great anticipation…Bags full of sugary treats, scary decorations, and the thrill of trick or treating with friends and family…What could be more fun? But, what do you do for Halloween when your loved one has Prader-Willi syndrome? Can they safely participate in the festivities? The answer...
INDIVIDUALLY WE ARE RARE…TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG: PARENT MENTOR PROGRAM STRENGTHENS PWS COMMUNITY
On September 8, 2018, PWSA (USA) help a parent mentor workshop at the Monroe Carrell, Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. PWSA (USA) Parent Mentor Director, Diane Seeley, created the innovative workshop to educate parent mentors about a variety of topics, including current trends in dietary management, advantages and safety of various...