Temperament in velocardiofacial syndrome.

The team asked parents to fill out the Carey Temperament Scales. They compared kids with velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) to same-age peers without the deletion.

All children were 8-14 years old. The study looked at nine temperament traits and at how well parent and child styles matched.

Kids with VCFS scored a little higher on difficult traits. They were more irregular, distractible, and rigid than peers.

When parent and child temperaments clashed, behavior problems jumped. The mismatch predicted symptoms better than VCFS alone.

Merrill (2004) first mapped the wide VCFS behavioral picture: high ADHD, social withdrawal, language delays, later schizophrenia risk. Plant et al. (2007) zoom in, showing these issues may start with small but stubborn temperament differences.

Lecavalier et al. (2006) used the same Carey scales in autism. Both groups show more extreme scores than typical kids, hinting that routine-loving, distractible profiles cross diagnostic lines.

Furniss et al. (2011) later added cognitive data: verbal strength plus visuospatial and executive holes. Together the papers sketch a full profile—temperament, cognition, and psychiatry—so you know what to watch for at each step.

When a learner with VCFS melts down, check temperament fit before adding new rewards. A slow-to-adapt child paired with a go-go parent may need longer warnings, visual schedules, and parent coaching. Matching style to child can cut problem behavior without extra medication.