People with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) have a lot of strengths as well as having a range of symptoms which may require support. These include: being very friendly, honest, empathetic, intuitive and sensitive. We celebrate our strengths by sharing stories on our social media. Please see our TikTok videos, Instagram reels, Facebook posts and LinkedIn feed.
The strengths and positive traits associated with FXS are sometimes overlooked by professionals, so it is important to recognise these too. Explore your loved one’s strengths and passions, and build on those. Children with Fragile X Syndrome often have a strong sense of humour and enjoy having fun, which can help them overcome their social anxieties. They are often really good at things like:
- Learning visually using pictures or computers
- Remembering things like songs, movies or sports events
- Undertaking practical, relevant tasks
- Doing essential daily tasks
- Being compassionate, helpful and friendly
One of our parents says this:
“I realised that Michael has brought me an enormous amount of happiness and taught me many things. That thought is opposite of the normal way of thinking in society about people with special needs. Society tends to refer to them as a burden. And for sure, sometimes it is not easy, but a burden? My son has so many special talents; you only have to look to see them. And as society, we can really benefit from people like Michael, and a lot more than everyone thinks.” (From Emilie Weight’s TED Talk)
Fragile X International has published an article giving scientific research to support these positive traits: long-term memory, honesty, humour, imitation skills, sociability, kindness, helpfulness and sensitivity to others. Recognising and building on strengths is key. See our article: The Joys of Fragile X: Understanding the strengths of Fragile X and delivering a diagnosis in a helpful, holistic way.
More information on strengths and Fragile X is available from Raising Children Australia
