Behavioural Characteristics
When people have a diagnosis of fragile X syndrome, it means that they are more likely to engage in certain behaviour than people without this syndrome. This is known as a 'behavioural phenotype'.
If a person has a diagnosis of fragile X syndrome, it does not mean they will show all behaviours associated with the syndrome and it is vital to remember that everyone with FXS is an individual.
Understanding which behaviours are more likely to occur in fragile X syndrome means that parents, carers and professionals are in a stronger position to support a person with the syndrome. This is because they can learn about why this behaviour is happening and develop interventions that are specific to individuals with this syndrome.
The following sections describe a range of behaviours including:
- Behavioural difficulties
- Adaptive behaviour
- Impulsivity/overactivity
- Social behaviour
- Sleep
- Repetitive behaviour
- Autism spectrum disorder characteristics
Descriptions of each of these behaviours can be found in the corresponding subsection on this website, or you can visit the common issues pages to get a general overview of each of these areas by clicking here.