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What Speech and Language Characteristics are Common to Males? Speech and language development of boys and men with fragile X syndrome is affected by several factors. Some of these factors are particular to fragile X syndrome. These cause the speech and language patterns of persons with fragile X to be different from the speech and language of persons with other causes of developmental disorders, such as Down syndrome and autism.
Many boys are late in beginning to talk, but most eventually do so. Some children require the use of augmentative devices to help them communicate when they are not yet speaking. Auditory processing problems are reported by many researchers. Attention, memory, word retrieval, and auditory sequencing often affect both comprehension and production of speech and language. Speech production may be characterized by imprecise articulation, a fast rate of speech, and cluttering, all of which affect intelligibility. Voice characteristics may include a loud volume, with unusual, high pitch, and harshness. Receptive vocabulary may be a strength for younger boys with fragile X syndrome, although the subtleties of multiple meaning and abstract words may cause more weaknesses as boys grow older. Expressive vocabulary is often weaker than receptive, such that boys can understand more words than they use. Syntax, or grammar, is usually reported as in keeping with overall cognitive level. Some children are delayed in their ability to combine words into phrases and then sentences, but most boys with fragile X do learn to speak in sentences. Pragmatics, or conversational skills, are a major area of concern for boys with fragile X syndrome. Poor eye contact, perseverative speech, poor topic maintenance, and self-talk often characterize the conversational attempts of boys with fragile X. There are some elements of autistic-like language in the area of pragmatics, but boys with fragile X are generally eager to make social contacts and to interact. What physical problems may affect speech and language development in boys with fragile X syndrome? Why are some boys so late in speaking? What are auditory processing problems, and how do they affect speech and language development? What are the characteristics of articulation and voice in boys with fragile X syndrome? What are the characteristics of vocabulary development in boys with fragile X syndrome? What are the characteristics of syntax development in boys with fragile X syndrome? What are the characteristics of pragmatic/conversational skills in boys with fragile X syndrome? Gail Harris-Schmidt, Ph.D., CCC-SLP |
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The speech and language of boys with fragile X is often affected by differences in
physical structures. Ear infections, oral-motor sensitivity, and structure of the palate may cause problems in both hearing and speech.
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