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Social Approach and Autistic Behavior in Children with Fragile X Syndrome

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Abstract

Social avoidance is a core phenotypic characteristic of fragile X syndrome (FXS) that has critical cognitive and social consequences. However, no study has examined modulation of multiple social avoidant behaviors in children with FXS. In the current study, we introduce the Social Approach Scale (SAS), an observation scale that includes physical movement, facial expression, and eye contact approach behaviors collected across multiple time points. Our findings suggested that social approach behaviors in children with FXS were affected by age, gender, setting, and time spent with an examiner. Selected social approach behaviors were related to autistic behavior. Increased eye contact over the course of a research assessment, in particular, was found to be a strong predictor of lower autistic behavior.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grant HD003110, grant HD40602, and grant #MH067092. We thank Heather Magruder, Takako Yamaya, and Irena Bukelis for assistance with data analyses and manuscript preparation. We are also grateful to Dr. Christiane Cox for her helpful suggestions regarding statistical analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 517 South Greensboro Street, Carrboro, NC, 27510, USA

    Jane E. Roberts, Leigh Anne H. Weisenfeld, Deborah D. Hatton & Morgan Heath

  2. Center for Genetic Disorders of Cognition & Behavior, Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Walter E. Kaufmann

Authors
  1. Jane E. Roberts
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  2. Leigh Anne H. Weisenfeld
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  3. Deborah D. Hatton
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  4. Morgan Heath
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  5. Walter E. Kaufmann
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Correspondence to Jane E. Roberts.

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Roberts, J.E., Weisenfeld, L.A.H., Hatton, D.D. et al. Social Approach and Autistic Behavior in Children with Fragile X Syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord 37, 1748–1760 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0305-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0305-9

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