Behavioral Phenotype of Fragile X Syndrome in Adolescence and Adulthood

AJIDD Article co-authored by Waisman IDDRC/UCEDD faculty

February 28, 2012

Website Link http://aaiddjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1352/1944-7558-117.1.1

Leann E. Smith, Erin T. Barker, Marsha Mailick Seltzer, Leonard Abbeduto, Jan S. Greenberg

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Abstract

The present study explored the behavioral profile of individuals with fragile X syndrome during adolescence and adulthood. Individuals with both fragile X syndrome and autism (n = 30) were compared with (a) individuals diagnosed with fragile X syndrome (but not autism; n = 106) and (b) individuals diagnosed with autism (but not fragile X syndrome; n = 135) on measures of autism symptoms, adaptive functioning, behavior problems, and psychological symptoms. Results indicated that individuals dually diagnosed with fragile X syndrome and autism displayed greater communication and social reciprocity impairments than individuals with fragile X syndrome only. Individuals in the dually diagnosed group also exhibited higher levels of repetitive and challenging behaviors than either comparison group, suggesting a unique profile of vulnerability for those diagnosed with both fragile X syndrome and autism.

Article Citation

Leann E . Smith, Erin T . Barker, Marsha Mailick Seltzer, Leonard Abbeduto, and Jan S . Greenberg (2012) Behavioral Phenotype of Fragile X Syndrome in Adolescence and Adulthood. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: January 2012, Vol. 117, No. 1, pp. 1-17.