Symptoms

How does Fragile X affect a child?

Boys who are affected almost always have some learning difficulty ranging from mild to severe.

Girls are often of normal intelligence but up to a third have learning problems, which may be mild or moderate, but are occasionally severe.

The behavioural features include:
short attention span,
distractibility,
impulsiveness and
over-activity.

Shyness and social withdrawal are often seen in girls who may have difficulty making friends.

Many affected children show autistic-like features: a dislike of eye contact, difficulty in relating to other people, anxiety in social situations and insistence on familiar routines. Speech and language development is usually delayed.

There are physical features associated with Fragile X: a long narrow face with prominent jaw bones and ears (these are rarely obvious in young children and sometimes may not be present at all).