A Comparative Study of Sociability in Angelman, Cornelia de Lange, Fragile X, Down and Rubinstein Taybi Syndromes and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Fragile X, Cornelia de Lange and ASD show the lowest caregiver-rated sociability among six neurogenetic disorders.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Parents filled out the Sociability Questionnaire for Intellectual Disability (SQID).
The survey covered six groups: Angelman, Cornelia de Lange, Fragile X, Down, Rubinstein-Taybi syndromes and autism spectrum disorder.
Each group had children or adults with intellectual disability.
What they found
Caregivers rated Fragile X, Cornelia de Lange and ASD as the least sociable.
Angelman, Down and Rubinstein-Taybi scored higher on friendly eye contact, greeting and chat.
Selective mutism traits also differed by syndrome.
How this fits with other research
Cook et al. (2021) extends the Down picture. They split DS-only from DS+ASD and showed the dual diagnosis has far worse expressive language than DS alone.
Zhu et al. (2016) ran parallel work in Chinese boys with FXS. They found FXS boys trailed DS peers in socialisation and self-care, matching the low sociability rank seen here.
Bellon-Harn et al. (2020) took the FXS focus further. They proved the ASIEP-3 interaction tool gives reliable social scores in FXS, giving you a ready instrument to track the poor sociability this paper flags.
Why it matters
Use the SQID snapshot to set social-skills priorities. If your client has Fragile X, Cornelia de Lange or ASD, plan denser social practice and peer entry steps. Pair the ASIEP-3 for FXS learners to get measurable social targets. Always screen for ASD inside Down syndrome; the dual label signals you will need heavier language and social programming.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Few comparative studies have evaluated the heterogeneity of sociability across a range of neurodevelopmental disorders. The Sociability Questionnaire for People with Intellectual Disability (SQID) was completed by caregivers of individuals with Cornelia de Lange (n = 98), Angelman (n = 66), Fragile X (n = 142), Down (n = 117) and Rubinstein Taybi (n = 88) syndromes and autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 107). Between groups and age-band (<12yrs; 12-18yrs; >18yrs) comparisons of SQID scores were conducted. Rates of behaviors indicative of selective mutism were also examined. Fragile X syndrome achieved the lowest SQID scores. Cornelia de Lange, ASD, and Fragile X groups scored significantly lower than Angelman, Down and Rubinstein Taybi groups. Selective mutism characteristics were highest in Cornelia de Lange (40%) followed by Fragile X (17.8%) and ASD (18.2%). Age-band differences were identified in Cornelia de Lange and Down syndrome.
American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2016 · doi:10.1352/1944-7558-121.6.465