Study of the interaction between executive function and adaptive behavior at school in girls with fragile X Syndrome

Comportamiento adaptativo; Escuela; Niñas Comportament adaptatiu; Escola; Nenes Adaptive behavior; School; Young females The aim of this research is to analyze the relationship between executive functions and adaptive behavior in girls with Fragile X syndrome (FXS) in the school setting. This study is part of a larger investigation conducted at the Hospital Parc Tauli in Sabadell. The sample consists of a total of 40 girls (26 with FXS and 14 control) aged 7–16 years, who were administered different neuropsychological tests (WISC-V, NEPSY-II, WCST, TOL) and questionnaires answered by teachers (ABAS-II, BRIEF 2, ADHD Rating Scale). The results show that there is a greater interaction between some areas of executive function (cognitive flexibility, auditory attention, and visual abstraction capacity) and certain areas of adaptive behavior (conceptual, practical, social, and total domains) in the FXS group than in the control group. These results suggest that an alteration in the executive functions was affecting the daily functioning of the girls with FXS to a greater extent. The study was awarded two scholarships by the “Parc Tauli Foundation”: (1) Financial assistance to cover part of the travel expenses (transportation and accommodation). Grant number: 2018.0035; (2) “Intensifica’t al Tauli” Scholarship: grant program for the institutions’ healthcare professionals who led research projects. This financial assistance partially frees them from their professional activity for a period of 12 months so that they can make a greater commitment to research. Grant number: 2020.0081.