Early Communication, Symbolic Behavior, and Social Profiles of Young Males With Fragile X Syndrome This study examined the communication and symbolic behavior profiles of 22 males with fragile X syndrome (FXS) developmentally younger than 28 months and the relationship of these profiles to the children's communication skills one year later. The boys, ranging in age from 21 to 77 months, were tested using the ... Research Article
Research Article  |   August 01, 2002
Early Communication, Symbolic Behavior, and Social Profiles of Young Males With Fragile X Syndrome
Joanne E. Roberts, PhD, Penny Mirrett, Kathleen Anderson, Margaret Burchinal, and Eloise Neebe
 
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Joanne E. Roberts, PhD
    Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Penny Mirrett
    Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Kathleen Anderson
    Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Margaret Burchinal
    Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Eloise Neebe
    Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Contact author: Joanne E. Roberts, PhD, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 105 Smith Level Road, CB# 8180, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8180. E-mail: joanne_roberts@unc.edu
  • *Also affiliated with Department of Pediatrics and Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Department of Allied Health Sciences
    *Also affiliated with Department of Pediatrics and Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Department of Allied Health Sciences×
    **Also affiliated with Department of Psychology
    **Also affiliated with Department of Psychology×
  • Copyright © 2002 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Article Information
Development / Special Populations / Genetic & Congenital Disorders / Speech, Voice & Prosody / Research Articles
Research Article   |   August 01, 2002
Early Communication, Symbolic Behavior, and Social Profiles of Young Males With Fragile X Syndrome
American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, August 2002, Vol. 11, 295-304. doi:10.1044/1058-0360(2002/034)
History: Received March 29, 2001 , Accepted November 21, 2001
 
American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, August 2002, Vol. 11, 295-304. doi:10.1044/1058-0360(2002/034)
History: Received March 29, 2001; Accepted November 21, 2001
Web of Science® Times Cited: 27

This study examined the communication and symbolic behavior profiles of 22 males with fragile X syndrome (FXS) developmentally younger than 28 months and the relationship of these profiles to the children's communication skills one year later. The boys, ranging in age from 21 to 77 months, were tested using the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales and the Reynell Developmental Language Scales. The children showed significant delays and substantial individual variability in their profiles. Overall, they showed relative strengths in verbal and vocal communication and relative weaknesses in gestures, reciprocity, and symbolic play skills. Children who scored higher in communicative functions, vocalizations, verbalizations, and reciprocity scored higher in verbal comprehension one year later. Children with higher scores in verbal communication also scored higher in expressive language development when tested one year later.

Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitative Research, U.S. Department of Education, H133G60186-97, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 1 R01 HD 38819-01 and 1 R03 HD 40640-01. We first want to express our thanks to the children and families who participated in this study. We also want to express our special thanks to Dr. Donald Bailey and Dr. Deborah Hatton for sharing their BDI data and for their support of this project. We have greatly appreciated the help of Ms. Shaye Benton, Ms. Shani Levine, and Ms. Clare Norins in assisting with data collection. We also thank Ms. Sarah Henderson for her assistance in manuscript preparation.
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