Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2013 Sep;57(9):803-14.
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2012.01609.x. Epub 2012 Sep 14.

Early identification of autism in fragile X syndrome: a review

L M McCary  1 , J E Roberts
Affiliations
Review

Early identification of autism in fragile X syndrome: a review

L M McCary et al. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2013 Sep.

Abstract

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading genetic cause of autism, accounting for approximately 5% of autism cases with as many as 50% of individuals with FXS meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for autistic disorder. Both FXS and idiopathic autism (IA) are attributed to genetic causes; however, FXS is an identified single gene disorder whereas autism is a complex disorder with multiple potential causes, some of which have been identified. Studies in IA have focused on the prospective longitudinal examination of infant siblings of children with autism as a target group due to their high risk of developing the disorder. We propose that this same model be applied to the study of infants with FXS. There is a lack of research focusing on the early development of autism within FXS and debate in the literature regarding how to best conceptualise this co-morbidity or whether it should be considered a co-morbid condition at all. Studying the emergence and stability of autism in infants with FXS has multiple benefits such as clarifying the underlying mechanisms of the development of autism in FXS and solidifying similarities and differences between co-morbid FXS with autism and IA. Infant research in both IA and FXS are discussed as well as conclusions and implications for practice and future research.

Keywords: autism; fragile X; intellectual disability; methodology in research.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. American Psychiatric Association . Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th edn, text revised American Psychiatric Association; Washington, DC.: 2000.
    1. Bailey DB, Jr, Hatton DD, Mesibov G, Ament N, Skinner M. Early development, temperament, and functional impairment in autism and fragile X syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2000;30:557–67. - PubMed
    1. Bailey DB, Jr, Hatton DD, Skinner M, Mesibov G. Autistic behaviour, FMR1 protein, and developmental trajectories in young males with FXS. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2001a;31:165–74. - PubMed
    1. Bailey DB, Jr, Hatton DD, Tassone F, Skinner M, Taylor AK. Variability in FMRP and early development in males with FXS. American Journal on Mental Retardation. 2001b;1:16–27. - PubMed
    1. Bailey DB, Jr, Roberts JE, Hooper SR, Hatton DD, Mirrett PL, Roberts JE, et al. Research on FXS and autism: implications for the study of genes, environments, and developmental language disorders. In: Rice ML, Warren SF, editors. Developmental Language Disorders: From Phenotypes to Etiologies. Erlbaum; Mahway, NJ.: 2004. pp. 121–53.