Objective: We leveraged common genetic variation underlying ADHD, educational attainment (EA) and cognition (COG) to understand the nature of the Behavior Rating Inventory for Executive Functions (BRIEF) and its relationship to academic functioning. Method: Participants were 991 youth, ages 7 to 17, consecutively referred for neuropsychiatric…

Background and Aim: Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) are at an increased risk to develop behaviors associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The relationship between early language difficulties and the occurrence of ASD-related behaviors in DLD is poorly understood. One factor that may hinder progress in understanding this…

3q29 deletion syndrome (3q29del) is associated with a significantly increased risk for neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the full spectrum of behavioral phenotypes associated with 3q29del is still evolving. Individuals with 3q29del (n = 96, 60.42% male) or their guardian completed the Achenbach Child or Adult Behavior…

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS) symptoms in children/adolescents and their parents within the Turkish population, examining the association with co-occurring ADHD symptoms, peer/social relationships, and total difficulties. Method: The study included 229 parents aged 18 to…

Parenting children with neurodevelopmental disabilities is often challenging. Biological mothers of children with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) may be susceptible to increased risk of mental health problems. This study examined the longitudinal relationships between maternal mental health, child challenging behaviors, and mother-child relationship…

The majority of the research examining children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Williams Syndrome (WS) focus on the social domain while few have examined cognitive style and emotionality. Accordingly, this current study assessed the day-to-day cognitive and behavioral functioning of school-age children with ASD, WS, and neurotypical…

In this study, we examined trajectories of specific domains of behavior problems (i.e., attention problems, depression/anxiety, and aggressive behavior) from age 6 to 18 in a sample of 55 children with fragile X syndrome. We also examined autism status and early parenting as predictors of subsequent behavioral trajectories. We found that attention…

A randomized, 13-weeks, placebo-controlled double-blind study in 125 subjects aged 2-17.5 years with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Smith-Magenis syndrome and insomnia demonstrated efficacy and safety of easily-swallowed prolonged-release melatonin mini-tablets (PedPRM; 2-5 mg) in improving sleep duration and onset. Treatment effects on child…

The experience of having a rare disorder was summarised in a large study as 'falling outside the vast field of knowledge of the professionals'. Parents (31 mothers and 17 fathers) of 32 persons with Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) participated in this study. A phenomenological approach was used to analyse the data into topics and themes. Four themes…

Behavioral inflexibility (BI) has been highlighted to occur across genetic and neurodevelopmental disorders. This study characterized BI in two common neurogenetic conditions: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) and Down syndrome (DS). Caregivers of children with FXS (N = 56; with ASD = 28; FXS only = 28) and DS (N = 146) completed the Behavioral…

It is well documented that mothers of children with challenging behavior (CB) experience elevated levels of stress and that this persists over time, but less is known about the experience of mothers of children with rare genetic syndromes. This article describes 2 studies, 1 cross-sectional and 1 longitudinal, comparing well-being in mothers of…

To identify similarities and differences in the behavioral profile of children with Williams syndrome from Spain (n = 53) and the United States (n = 145), we asked parents of 6- to 14-year-olds with Williams syndrome to complete the Child Behavior Checklist 6-18. The distribution of raw scores was significantly higher for the Spanish sample than…

Studying anxiety in neurogenetic syndromes may inform the intersection of biological and developmental risks, facilitating effective and targeted interventions. We longitudinally examined stranger fear in infants and toddlers with fragile X syndrome (FXS; n = 46) and typical controls (n = 33), as well as associations between observed stranger fear…

Background: Williams syndrome (WS) phenotype is described as unique and intriguing. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between speech-language abilities, general cognitive functioning and behavioural problems in individuals with WS, considering age effects and speech-language characteristics of WS sub-groups. Methods: The…

Mothers of individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) often experience numerous stressors, even when compared to mothers of children with other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Despite this, these mothers show great variability in self-reported life satisfaction. Using data from a longitudinal study of individuals with PWS and their…