What It Is

Angelman Syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes developmental delay and neurological problems.  Angelman Syndrome is due in most cases to a chromosome deficiency involving loss of material from chromosome region 15q12. The deficient chromosome is passed on from the mother.

Deletion of chromosome region 15q12 causes both Angelman Syndrome and a totally different disorder called Prader-Willi Syndrome.  While the deleted chromosome is of maternal origin in Angelman Syndrome, it is the paternal chromosome that is partially deleted in the Prader-Willi Syndrome. 

There are rare families with more than one child with Angelman Syndrome. 


According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:


Treatments & Therapies

There is no known treatment or cure for Angelman Syndrome.  

Many children with Angelman Syndrome take medicine to control seizures.  Different forms of therapy like physical, speech, behavioral, etc can be helpful for a child to reach their maximum development potential.
