title: Social approach and autistic behavior in children with fragile X syndrome.
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.
authors.affiliation: FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carrboro, NC 27510, USA. jane_roberts@unc.edu
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Leigh Anne H
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Weisenfeld
authors.forename: Deborah D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Hatton
authors.forename: Morgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.forename: Walter E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D005600:Fragile X Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires