Friendship, loneliness and social vulnerability

The event was organized by the HSZG research group“WBS in Resonance”and the Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony regional chapter of the Federal Association for Williams-Beuren Syndrome . The theme of the two-day family gathering was: “My Friend Must Be a Heater!”—Friendship, Loneliness, and Social Vulnerability.

WBS is a rare, genetically caused developmental disorder that is typically associated with an intellectual disability and various physical and psychological challenges. Children and adolescents with WBS are, on the one hand, considered hypersocial, sociable, and trusting; on the other hand, they often have difficulty forming and maintaining friendships. In addition, their parents and siblings face many challenges in managing daily life. This makes it all the more important for families to network with one another, share experiences, and gain access to the latest research findings.

A total of 31 families from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Berlin, Brandenburg, and the Czech Republic, along with 15 speakers and 20 student assistants, participated over the weekend. The event featured two keynote lectures, fourteen workshops, games and recreational activities, and a storytelling café. In three workshops, students of Special Needs Education/Inclusion Studies presented the latest findings from their final dissertations. The academic highlight of the conference was undoubtedly the presentations by U.S. WBS researcher Marisa H. Fisher (Michigan State University), who had traveled to Görlitz specifically for the event.

On Friday and Saturday evenings, the relaxed atmosphere of the Maus student club provided an ideal setting for exchanging experiences and insights. From the perspective of the parents and the organizing team, the gathering was a great success.

The weekend was made possible by the generous financial support of AOK plus and the commitment of the HSZG.