ABSTRACT
Background
Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are more likely to engage in problem behaviours than peers with typical development. The purpose of this study was to provide descriptive and qualitative information about problem behaviours in children with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and how families respond to these behaviours.
Method
We examined interview responses from 53 mothers of 9-year-old children with FXS.
Results
Defiance, tantrums, inattention, stereotypy, and aggression were the most frequently reported problem behaviours of children with FXS. Stereotypy, physical aggression, self-injury, and elopement were reported more often by mothers of children with dual diagnoses of FXS and autism than by mothers of children with a single diagnosis of FXS.
Conclusions
Results indicated that for many families, by 9 years of age, problem behaviours led to frustration and altered family activities.
Acknowledgments
We want to thank the families who shared their stories with us and made this work possible. We also want to thank the student coders for their work on this project.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.