The evaluation of phonological profiles in the fragile x syndrome through error rates

Scientific advances over the past few decades have permitted the identification of the, until recently, relatively unknown syndromes within the non-specific field traditionally defined as “mental retardation or deficiency”. The study of these syndromes, among which is Fragile X syndrome (FXS), has allowed us to move from a static to a dynamic conception of intellectual disability which takes into account its development throughout the life cycle as a result of the interaction between its capacity for adaption and support. This paper, following the aforementioned model, is part of a broader project, “Syndroling Project” (Diez-Itza et al., 2014), establishing compared linguistic profiles in genetic evolution syndromes, and its objective is to analyze the phonological profiles of male adults with FXS. The study of the phonological profiles was carried out using samples of spontaneous speech by six male adults with FXS (average age = 38.6). The samples were collected and analyzed according to the RETAMHE method and the CHILDES project (Diez-Itza, Snow, MacWhinney, 1999). The frequency and relative distribution of the different types and classes of processes (Syllabic structure, substitution, omission, and assimilation) were analyzed, and the phonological profiles were built from error rates calculated on lexical frequency. The results show a phonological profile specific to FXS, characterized by a relatively higher incidence of syllabic structuring and a lower incidence of substitution and omission than found in the typical development and in Down Syndrome. The phonological level in FXS could therefore be considered to closer to the good level observed in Williams Syndrome than to the specific difficulties of Down Syndrome; this opens the possibility of using it as a basis for speaking and reading intervention