A Description of the Educational Setting Among Individuals With Fragile X Syndrome.

The sample was not sociodemographically diverse: 88% of respondents were White and more than two-thirds had a college education. Families were recruited through fragile X clinics and foundations, so caregivers may have been more involved and vocal advocates than families who did not respond. The school services analysis excluded children with missing school attendance data (n=73), missing IEP or IFSP status (n=317), and families living outside the United States (n=22). Most information came from caregiver report, including school setting, teacher awareness, goals, progress, and functional skills, and respondents may have understood questions differently. IEP eligibility and special education services vary by state and school district, so national survey results may not describe what any one student receives. The study did not measure IQ, so it could not separate the effects of intellectual ability, behavior, and classroom placement. The study collected caregiver reports at two survey phases and did not test an intervention, so it cannot show that spending more time in a regular classroom causes better functional skills. The female subanalysis for functional skills included only 37 participants and was not reported. The data were collected in 2008 and 2012.

Do not conclude that placing a student in a regular classroom for more time will improve functional skills. The study is a caregiver survey, did not measure IQ, and did not test an intervention, so the association could reflect behavior, co-occurring conditions, disability severity, or other factors.