Fragile X Awareness Day

July 22 is Fragile X Awareness Day in the U.S. and Australia. Fragile X Syndrome is the most common known cause of intellectual and developmental disability that can be inherited.

Physical and behavioral signs that a child has fragile X syndrome include:

• Not sitting, walking, or talking as early as other children (this is known as having developmental delays)
• Learning disabilities
• Speech and language delays
• Behavioral problems such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Children often have a typical facial appearance that gets more noticeable with age. These features include:

• A large head
• A long face
• Prominent ears, chin, and forehead

Males who have fragile X syndrome usually have some degree of intellectual disability that can range from mild to severe. Females with fragile X syndrome can have normal intelligence or some degree of intellectual disability with or without learning disabilities. Autism spectrum disorders also occur more frequently in children with fragile X syndrome.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

For educators, here is a valuable resource titled "Lesson Planning Guide for Students with Fragile X Syndrome - A Practical Approach for the Classroom" produced by the National Fragile X Foundation's Education Project Team.

Click on the image to download guide

Click here for free publications on Fragile X Syndrome.

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