Video can show nuances in symptoms and behavior that are difficult to communicate through text or still photos. For example, while most individuals with Angelman syndrome have severe speech impairment, which leaves them unable to speak, or able to say only a couple words, they often have much stronger receptive language skills. Video can show receptive language skills with detail and nuance that written description fails to capture. 

In this sequence of clips, Oriel's mother explains how she first noticed something may have been wrong with her daughter. Oriel's mother also talks about Oriel's challenges with the dentist.  Watch as Oriel makes signs related to the topic of conversation.

You can see how Oriel understands many of the words her mother is saying, as she flaps her arms when her mom talks about her flapping her arms, and later when her mother talks about the dentist, Oriel points to her teeth, and then to her arm where she had to get blood tests and injections. 

This video demonstrates how the description of Angelman syndrome as causing a severe language delay that results in most cases in an inability to speak doesn't fully capture the true communication abilities of many individuals with Angelman syndrome, like Oriel - especially her ability to understand speech and use facial expressions and gestures to express concepts and relate her understanding of the conversation.