Angelman syndrome Easy Read | Mencap | Easy Read

Angelman syndrome

A woman standing with her arms spread next to a drawing of a brain inside the outline of a head

What is Angelman syndrome?

Angelman syndrome is a condition that affects your brain and body.

A photograph of the legs of someone walking with a walking stick

People with Angelman syndrome may find it hard to walk and talk.

A man dancing

They may have lots of energy and find it hard to focus or to sleep,

A young girl in a wheelchair is sitting next to an adult woman in a wheelchair and there is a wavy arrow between them pointing towards the woman

this may get better as they get older.

3 Teenagers

Most people with Angelman syndrome have a learning disability .

A lady in a wheelchair smiling.

People with Angelman syndrome are otherwise healthy and can live long lives.

A man in a chair using a communication aid to talk

They can learn new skills and different ways to communicate.

Black curving lines representing DNA and genes.

What causes Angelman syndrome?

Every person’s body has something called genes.

A woman talking with a speech bubble. Inside the speech bubble is a pair of jeans

You say genes like jeans.

The outline of a person. There are pink circles with black wavy lines in them around the person.

Everyone has nearly 20,000 genes in their body.

A diagram of a man next to a gene which has a zig zag through it

People have Angelman syndrome when one of these genes is not working.

A photo of a baby with a calendar showing their date of birth, next to an arrow which points to an old woman with a much later date on a calendar behind her

If you were born with Angelman syndrome, you have it for your whole life.

A woman smiling and looking at a girl in a wheelchair

Help with Angelman syndrome

There is no cure for Angelman syndrome, but you can get help.

A blisterpack of tablets

If you have seizures you can get medicine to help stop them.

A woman using sign language to a young man. Both are wearing face masks

You can get communication therapy to help you communicate in other ways, like Makaton.

A lady sitting on a therapy couch with a therapist helping her to bend her leg.

You may find physiotherapy helpful.

Physiotherapy can be exercises, massage, or other treatments to make you feel better.

A doctor with a speech bubble

If you or your child has Angelman syndrome you should talk to a doctor about getting support.

A laptop with a blue screen and www. underlined on it

AngelmanUK give support and advice for people with Angelman syndrome, their carers and families.

A woman with a headset and a speech bubble which has an image of a signpost inside

You can contact the Learning Disability Helpline for more information and support:

Email: Helpline@mencap.org.uk
Phone: 0808 808 1111