Early Predictors of Later Language Ability in Children with Fragile X Syndrome

Abstract

The predictive ability of early language skills on later expressive language was examined in children with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) and children with FXS with co-morbid autism. Children were visited in their homes and mother-child interactions were videotaped, coded and transcribed behavior-by-behavior. Females with FXS were higher performing than males with FXS, and both were higher performing than males and females with FXS and autism. Early language ability and autism symptomatology were predictive of later productive vocabulary size. These findings provide further evidence for differences in language ability based on sex and autism status in children with FXS.