Given the high prevalence and substantial impact of mental illness on individuals with intellectual disabilities(ID) studies that examine mental health in persons with ID are critical to direct treatment aimed at reductionand, more importantly, prevention of mental illness to improve functioning and quality of life. Fragile Xsyndrome (FXS) is the leading identified cause of ID with up to 80% of adolescents and adults with FXSmeeting criteria for an anxiety disorder. FXS is an ideal model to investigate the combined and interactiveeffects among biological, behavioral and environmental factors on the emerging trajectory of anxiety in personswith ID. This application “Emergence, Stability and Predictors of Anxiety in Fragile X Syndrome” proposes thefirst longitudinal prospective developmental study of the early features of anxiety in very young boys with FXScontrasted to boys diagnosed with ASD (non-FXS) and typical controls (TD). We are interested in the age atwhich initial features of anxiety can be detected and the stability and prognostic value of these early symptoms todiagnostic categorization across two populations associated with ID and at high risk for anxiety. Likewise, we areinterested in documenting factors that predict the emergence, stability and severity of anxiety in these twopopulations.
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)
Autism Research Database (AFD)
