The Development of Strategies for Searching and Navigating Through Space

This work addresses the nature of spatial representation and the findings will be presented to the scientific community through conferences and journal publications. The potential findings related to the Williams Syndrome individuals are particularly important because of the practical implications of the condition. This group is supported by a national foundation who have an active web site [http://www.williams-syndrome.org.uk] as well as annual meetings where experts can disseminate information to parents and caregivers. Both collaborators (CJ & AK-S) have spoken at these meetings.

Spatial representation enables us to navigate our environment to find our way, search for lost items or forage for new ones. In this proposal, we use a recent experimental paradigm to examine the nature of developing spatial representation in typical and atypical children and adults. The findings will be used to test a theoretical model advocating the role of language in human spatial representation. Finally we plan to study navigating in Williams Syndrome individuals who have recognised visuospatial problems related to objects but unresolved abilities in space.