The more I read about Fragile X Syndrome, the more it sounds like Kirby. Of course, someone could have both autism and fragile X, however some of the things like Kirby’s double-jointedness in his fingers, his social skills, etc. sound more like fragile X.

So now I’m waiting for a couple of recommendations for pediatricians in our new area and then the first thing I want to do is test for fragile X. Apparently it’s the most common inherited cause of mental impairment. Here’s a little info:

80-90% of people with fragile X are not yet correctly diagnosed. Studies indicate that about 1 in 259 women of all races carry fragile X and could pass it to their children. The number of men who are carriers is thought to be 1 in 800.

Symptoms of Fragile X include:
~ mental impairment, ranging from learning disabilities to mental retardation
~ attention deficit and hyperactivity
~ anxiety and unstable mood
~ autistic-like behaviors
~ long face, large ears, flat feet, and
~ hyperextensible joints, especially fingers
~ seizures (epilepsy) affect about 25% of people with fragile X

Boys are typically more severely affected than girls. While most boys have mental retardation, only one-third to one-half of girls have significant intellectual impairment; the rest have either normal IQ or learning disabilities. Emotional and behavioral problems are common in both sexes. About 20% of boys with fragile X meet full criteria for autism. Most boys and some girls have some symptoms of autism, but many tend to be very social and interested in other people.