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The purpose of this paper is to explore the profiles of behaviours and adaptive functioning in the UK children and young people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Data of 106 participants registered from 2005 to 2015 were extracted from a clinic database. In total, 99 individuals with confirmed prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), aged from 5 to 25 years, were analysed using scaled scores of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Second Edition (VABS-II), and the Developmental Behaviour Checklist-Primary Carer Version (DBC-P) and Teacher Version (DBC-T). Differences due to age, gender, IQ and family structure (adopted/living with birth parents) were also explored.

The mean composite adaptive behaviour score on the VABS-II was classified as “low” at 68.2 (SD=8.5), with the socialisation domain being the most impaired. Significantly lower VABS-II composite scores were found in individuals with lower IQ’s, older ages and in males. Disruptive behaviours were the most commonly observed on the DBCs, whereas primary carers scored significantly higher than teachers across all subscales. IQ, age and gender were not associated with the total percentile scores of both DBCs. Adoption made no differences compared to living with birth parents.

Future studies would replicate these findings in a larger sample size including individuals without PAE and those living with birth parents.

This study is the first UK report that examines this issue.

The area of behavioural phenotype research and related clinical practice is now recognised as one of high relevance to all practitioners who help people with learning disabilities, whatever their age. Knowledge continues to accumulate rapidly regarding aspects pertaining to aetiology, likely developmental, emotional and behavioural challenges, useful multidisciplinary interventions and supports and long‐term prognosis. This paper reviews the concept, its history and recent developments, focusing on those aspects which are of particular importance to clinical and other care and support professionals and their clients. There is a continuing need for widespread dissemination of the large body of relevant information, and its application to practice in order to maximise benefits for people with learning disabilities and their families.

Sleep disorders are extremely common in children and young people, and even more so in those with developmental disabilities. This client subgroup may prove refractory to standard behavioural and other psychosocial interventions that usually help and it is frequent for clinicians to resort to medication approaches given the high levels of personal and family distress that result. There is a need not only for further well structured research in this field but also for efforts to tackle the frequent relative neglect by clinicians of more researched and considered approaches. This review examines these issues selectively, focusing on important clinical issues and predicaments, and attempts a start at an evidence‐based background for practical and rational prescribing in this area of common childhood psychopathology.

This article focuses on the consequences of having FraX‐E, the rare but well recognised variant of fragile X syndrome. The authors provide some background on the condition and report on recent research and evidence. Three case reports are outlined and the specific behavioural aspects of the syndrome are considered. The authors argue that it is important that the behavioural phenotype for FraX‐E is clearly identified and defined in order to give those with the condition relevant psychological and educational support in the future.

This report explores the relationship between the autosomal recessive disorder Schwachman‐Diamond syndrome (SDS) and neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), mixed receptive‐expressive language disorder and intellectual disability. It also reflects on the management of associated developmental, emotional and behavioural challenges. A six‐year‐old boy with SDS underwent comprehensive psychiatric and psychological assessment and was found to meet DSM‐IV‐TR (APA, 2000) diagnostic criteria for ADHD combined type and to have mild intellectual disability. A diagnosis of ASD was excluded. Management of his ADHD included psycho‐education, behaviour modification, educational recommendations and medication. This study adds to knowledge of Shwachman‐Diamond syndrome and management of co‐morbid neurodevelopmental disorders.

Associations between fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and other conditions have been reported, but the links between FAS and autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) remain unclear. This study explored the relationship between FAS and ASD in individuals attending a specialist diagnostic clinic. Consecutive referrals over 24 months to a specialist neurodevelopmental clinic were evaluated using gold standard methods for FAS diagnosis and ASD. The first 18‐month cohort who met criteria for ASD were compared with controls attending the same clinic but who had not experienced prenatal alcohol exposure (nested data). Data for the whole group were also collected. Twenty‐one fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) individuals were assessed and 16 (72%) met ICD‐10 criteria for childhood autism. Further significant differences between the prenatally exposed and non‐exposed group with ASD were found in the nested study. The research shows an association between heavy prenatal alcohol exposure and ASD. As this is a small sample in a specialist clinic, the study suggests that a larger, more population‐based study of those exposed to heavy prenatal alcohol is warranted.