According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about 1 in 54 children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder. ASD is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. ASD is more than 4 times more common among boys than girls. About 1 in 6 (17%) children aged 3-17 years were diagnosed with a developmental disability.
The CDC states that Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common known cause of inherited intellectual disability and affects both males and females, with females having milder symptoms than males.
Autism is considered a common comorbid condition with Fragile X syndrome- it is estimated that he prevalence of ASD in Fragile X syndrome varies. some studies show a 50% relationship. While there are similar characteristics, the motivation appears to be for different reasons. For example, indiviuals with Fragile X Syndrome appear to avoid eye contact due to social anxiety and shyness while people with autism simply prefer to be left alone.
The following articles provide insightful information:
Working with individuals- both children and adults diagnosed with self-injurious behaviors can be challenging at the very least. Some examples of self-injurious behaviors include head banging, handbiting, and excessive scratching. There are many reasons why a student or individual may cause self-injurious behaviors including the inability to communicate needs, the environment, sensory issues and physiological issues. The following are articles on identifying cause of self-injury and ways to prevent it.
Fragile X Syndrome is a genetic disorder and is the most common form of inherited intellectual and developmental disability. It is estimated to affect 1 in 4,000 males and 1 in 8,000 females. Characteristics include learning disorders, sensory issues, speech and language and attention disorders.
Learning challenges include, difficulty in processing information, understanding concepts, poor abstract thinking and cognitive delays. The following sites provide information on teaching students with Fragile X Syndrome.
Published by: Fragile X News Today
Written by: Vijaya Iyer
Social anxiety and autistic traits are prevalent in males with fragile X syndrome and these behaviors overlap with those observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without a known genetic syndrome, a study reports.
The overlap of traits between the two clinical subgroups makes their measurement extremely challenging, researchers said.
The study, “Biobehavioral composite of social aspects of anxiety in young adults with fragile X syndrome contrasted to autism spectrum disorder,” was published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics. Click here to read the rest of the story