Life for people living with Fragile X syndrome presents a different journey to that of people unaffected by Fragile X syndrome, but with the right supports it will be fulfilling.

It is important to recognise both their challenges and strengths, and adapt the home, social, learning and work environments to meet their needs.

Strengths

People living with Fragile X are often empathetic, have a friendly and sociable nature, and a good sense of humour.

They often have a very good visual memory, and good long term and incidental memory.

Challenges

Fragile X syndrome can cause a wide range of difficulties with learning, as well as social, language, attentional, emotional, behavioural and medical problems. The effects of Fragile X syndrome  on an individual vary and can range from mild to severe.

Developmental disability is the key presentation of Fragile X syndrome , and typically in boys includes intellectual disability. Females commonly appear less affected by Fragile X syndrome, but this is not always the case and some will be severely affected.

Other common characteristics of Fragile X syndrome will present challenges, such as: planning difficulties, regulating incoming sensory stimuli, concentration and focus, perseveration (getting stuck), lower degree of auditory processing skills and sequential processing skills, difficulty with abstract concepts such as maths and time, and expressive language deficits.

Anxiety, including social anxiety, is also a very common symptom of Fragile X syndrome, and so learning how to manage behaviour and communication in social settings can present a real challenge.

Developmental Delays that Affect Daily Living

Source: Dr Marcia Braden PhD, Daily Living Strategies, Fragile X Workshop, Australia 2017.