Empowering Individuals
Supporting Families
Here's How YOU Can Support PWS Advocacy Efforts
We encourage the PWS community to join PWSA | USA’s 2024 Walk a Mile in their Genes Advocacy Campaign. Participants will not only raise awareness for our rare disease, but needed funds to enable our organization and volunteers to effectively advocate for the unmet needs of our loved ones living with PWS. Get involved and learn more by clicking the button below.
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What we do
Advocacy & Awareness
Increasing awareness and effectively advocating for Prader-Willi syndrome at the state and federal level is a critical component of our mission. We seek to involve all members of our community and work to keep you informed on the best ways to affect change.
Learn about Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS)
Family Support
PWSA | USA' Family Support team provides individuals diagnosed with Prader-Willi syndrome, their families, and care providers with critical information and resources on PWS. We also provide education to medical providers, schools, and professional care givers through ongoing trainings, toolkits and other valuable resources. We support the family from the NICU through all stages of the PWS journey.
Research
PWSA | USA seeks to support research projects with the potential for immediate and high impact for the PWS community. The goal is to fast-track better treatment for the syndrome, and we proudly collaborate with partners representing pharmaceutical companies, research universities, and more to achieve that goal.
Events & Fundraisers
Upcoming Events
150 PWS Advocates will descend on Capitol Hill during National PWS Awareness Day for PWSA | USA's 2nd D.C. Fly-In! PWSA | USA is excited to announce that our 2nd D.C. Fly-In will take place May 13-15, 2024, and the event hotel will be YOTEL Washington DC | Capitol Hill Hotel (415 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001)! During […]
Savannah, GA 31401 United States
As residential providers and caregivers are integral to the health and well-being of those living with PWS, it is critical they have access to the latest information. PWSA | USA’s 2024 Residential Providers Conference, Empowerment Heroes: Reveal Your Superpowers, will offer a variety of lectures and workshops in a collaborative space where professionals can exchange practice-driven […]
PWSA | USA is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research (FPWR) and the International Prader-Willi Syndrome Organisation (IPWSO) to host United in Hope – an International PWS Conference to be held June 24-28, 2025 at the Arizona Grand Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona! The conference theme, “United in Hope” reflects […]
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The PWS Voice of the Patient Report has Been Filed with the FDA!
On May 1, 2024, the first day of PWS Awareness Month, the Voice of the Patient Report was officially filed with the FDA! This timely filing marks a significant moment for the Prader-Willi syndrome community. The report gives crucial insights that amplify the perspective of individuals and families affected by PWS and sheds light on […]
Request for Prader-Willi Syndrome Research and Mini-Fellowship Grant Applications
PWSA | USA is currently seeking research project applications with direct impacts on individuals and families affected by PWS. We are offering mini-fellowship grants to support providers in enhancing their understanding of PWS through clinical proctorships. Research priorities include expanding knowledge about PWS, applying therapies, and attracting new providers and investigators to the field. Funding […]
The Great Blizz
with a contribution from James Towle James Towle, a 38-year-old living with Prader-Willi Syndrome, plays with the Great Blizzards of Massachusetts, Inclusive Ice Hockey. He recently had the opportunity to speak publicly about his experiences with hockey, some of the challenges of having PWS, and how he has overcome those to get out on the […]
Jennifer Bolander has been serving as a Special Education Specialist for PWSA (USA) since October of 2015. She is a graduate of John Carroll University and lives in Ohio with her husband Brad and daughters Kate (17), and Sophia (13) who was born with PWS.
Perry A. Zirkel has written more than 1,500 publications on various aspects of school law, with an emphasis on legal issues in special education. He writes a regular column for NAESP’s Principal magazine and NASP’s Communiqué newsletter, and he did so previously for Phi Delta Kappan and Teaching Exceptional Children.
Evan has worked with the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA) since 2007 primarily as a Crisis Intervention and Family Support Counselor. Evans works with parents and schools to foster strong collaborative relationships and appropriate educational environments for students with PWS.
Dr. Amy McTighe is the PWS Program Manager and Inpatient Teacher at the Center for Prader-Willi Syndrome at the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. She graduated from Duquesne University receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education with a focus on elementary education, special education, and language arts.
Staci Zimmerman works for Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of Colorado as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) consultant. Staci collaborates with the PWS multi-disciplinary clinic at the Children’s Hospital in Denver supporting families and school districts around the United States with their child’s Individual Educational Plan.
Founded in 2001, SDLC is a non-profit legal services organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the legal rights of people with disabilities throughout the South. It partners with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Protection and Advocacy (P&A) programs, Legal Services Corporations (LSC) and disability organizations on major, systemic disability rights issues involving the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the federal Medicaid Act. Recently in November 2014, Jim retired.