Early Signs of Rett Syndrome

Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder occurring mostly in females in which the child exhibits reduced muscle tone, autistic-like behaviors, stereotyped hand movements consisting of wringing and waving. It is a rare disorder that affects about 1 out of 10,000 children and is the most genetic causes of severe intellectual disability in females. Due to similarities to autism and cerebral palsy, it is often misdiagnosed.

Signs similar to autism include outburst, eye contact avoidance, lack of social reciprocity, sensory issues and loss of speech. Signs of Rett syndrome similar to cerebral palsy include short stature, difficulty with walking, gait movement difficulties and delayed ability to walk.

Typically, children born with Rett syndrome develop normally until the age of 6 and 18 months and reach typical development milestones including eye contact, rolling over and grasping objects. As children grow, motor development begins to slow such as walking and muscle movement. The first signs is usually the loss of muscle tone where the child’s arms and legs appear “floppy.”

Other early signs include:

  • Loss of communication abilities
  • Unusual eye movement
  • Breathing problems
  • Irritable and crying often
  • Intellectual disability
  • Seizures
  • Scoliosis
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Irregular heartbeat
More Resources on Rett Syndrome

Over 30 Online Resources on Rett Syndrome

 

Over 30 Online Resources on Rett Syndrome

 

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So much has been written on the subject of Autism, but how much do you know about Rett Syndrome? This disorder fall under the autism spectrum disorder category due to similar traits and characteristics.

Rett Syndrome is a neuro-developmental rare disorder that affects primarily girls. Discovered by Andreas Rett who described the symptoms as wasting and slow growth. Rett Syndrome is rare and occurs in 1 out of 23,000 births. The disorder consists of four stages:
Stage 1: Generally begins between the ages of 6 and 18 months. Gross motor skills begin to slow down and stagnates
Stage 2: Between the age of 1 and 3 years, will regress and lose any skills that were previous acquired.
Stage 3: During this stage, apaxia becomes apparent. Seizures become common and gross motor skills deteriorate.
Stage 4. Loses all gross motor skills and generally uses a wheelchair.

Symptoms

  • Difficulty in coordination
  • Loss of communication skills
  • Dyspraxia
  • Severe motor disabilities
  • Abnormal hand movement
  • Breathing abnormalities
  • Cold hands and feet
  • Apraxia
Similar in Autism Characteristics include:
  • Screaming
  • Crying
  • Hyperventilation
  • Lack of eye contact
Similarities in cerebral palsy include:
  • Hypotonia
  • Gait difficulties
  • Spasticity
  • Teeth-grinding

Medical Sites

Boston Children’s Hospital
Cleveland Clinic
Mayo Clinic
MedicineNet.com
Medscape
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes
National Organization for Rare Disorder
Science Daily
WebMD
Wikipedia

Organizations and Foundations

Girl Power 2 Cure
Kate Foundation
New Jersey Rett Syndrome Association
Northwest Rett Syndrome Foundation
Rett Syndrome.org
Southeastern Rett Syndrome Alliance

Twitter

Rett Girl
Rett Syndrome GP2C
Rett Syndrome News
Rett UK

Facebook

Cure Rett
Ontario Rett Syndrome Association
Rett Syndrome of Ireland

Blogs

Grace for Rett
Jessica’s Journey with Rett Syndrome
Living with Rett Syndrome
My Silent Angel’s Fight

Teaching Strategies

ACC for Children Who Have Rett Syndrome
Multi-Model Communication Strategies
Rett Syndrome: Teacher Tools
Some Rett Syndrome Tips

You Tube Video’s