All individuals change over their life as they grow and develop.  While every person is undoubtedly an individual, when someone has a rare genetic syndrome they may have certain characteristics associated with this syndrome.  How the person’s genetic syndrome will impact on their development across their lifespan is often difficult to predict as it depends on numerous factors including the person’s genetics and their environment.

Further understanding of the development of behavioural, cognitive, emotional and physical phenotypes across the lifespan may allow improved long-term management for many syndrome groups.

There are some reports in the research literature of syndrome-specific age related changes, for example, the characteristically high levels of laughter and smiling seen in response to social stimuli in Angelman syndrome may reduce with age, and mood may be lower in older than in younger people with Cornelia de Lange syndrome.

You can read more about changes with age in each of the genetic syndromes featured on this website by clicking the links below.

Angelman

Cri du Chat: https://www.findresources.co.uk/the-syndromes/cri-du-chat/changes-with-age

Cornelia de Lange

In addition, you can visit our interactive database to examine data collected at the University of Birmingham about individuals with different syndromes in different age brackets by clicking here.