Fragile X Syndrome and Receiving Social Security Disability
Fragile X syndrome is the most common form of inherited mental impairment. There is a problem with a specific gene that causes the disease. This gene is called the FMR 1 gene. Normally, this gene makes a protein that you need for brain development. The problem is this mutation causes a person to make little or none of the protein. This is what results in fragile X syndrome.
The impairment caused by fragile X syndrome can range from learning disabilities to more serious intellectual or cognitive disabilities. This is sometimes referred to as mental retardation. Fragile X syndrome is also the most common known cause of autism or autistio-like behaviors.
Geneticist Herbert Lubs first identified fragile X syndrome. He first observed the chromosomal defect that is responsible for the syndrome in 1969.
Fragile X syndrome affects about 1 in 4,000 males and 1 in 8,000 females in the United States. It is evidenced in all racial and ethnic groups.
Children and adults with Fragile X syndrome may be affected in many different ways. Males tend to be more severely affected than females. Some of these ways are:
Some degree of mental impairment (mental retardation) or learning disabilities
Autistic-like behaviors like hand biting and hand flapping
Mood and anxiety problems
Behavioral problems like frequent tantrums and difficulties paying attention
Speech problems
Sensitivity to sounds, light, textures and touch
Delays in learning how to talk, sit and walk
Subtle physical features that sometimes include a high arched palate, flat feet, large ears, a long narrow face and overly flexible joints (especially the fingers)
Males tend to develop enlarged testicles after puberty.
Girls with fragile X syndrome generally have fewer physical signs of the disorder than males. However, some girls have large ears. Only about one-third to one-half of affected girls have mental retardation or learning disabilities. Although, some affected girls with normal intelligence have learning disabilities involving attention difficulties, math, emotional problems (such as shyness, depression and anxiety) and poor social skills.
Most boys with fragile X syndrome have serious learning disabilities or mental retardation. They tend to have social and emotional problems like aggression.
Your child with disability may have fragile X syndrome. This may be the cause of their disability.
You may have tried to get financial help for your child with disability by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by fragile X syndrome and complications resulting from it. Was your child with disability denied?
If you decide to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration, keep this in mind. People who are represented by a disability attorney like the one you will find at disabilitycasereview.com are approved more often than those people who do not have a lawyer.
