Extra Chromosone and Asperger's

Post Reply New Topic

hwne i was 6 years old, my teacher told my mom I had strange behavior. we went to check it out at the doctor and I was told I have an extra chromosone or extra half, or half of one missing, i cannot recall. I was diagnosed with "pervasive" something.

Asperger's was not that big back then, then later on in 5th grade at 11 years old I was diagnosed with asperger's.

Does an extra chromosone have anything to do with autism?
Do i really have autism?
Why would it take me so long to get diagnosed?
and what does this extra chromosone mean?

There are a few trisomy disorders. It's possible that you have one of those.

OR, it's possible that you misheard the doctor. Fragile X is sometimes co-morbid with autism. It's a chromosome disorder, but it's the result of the X chromosome being under-developed or damaged. But it's not anything extra.

Other than that, there has been no evidence that people with AS necessarily have chromosome defects.

That is...if Fragile X isn't just mis-diagnosed as autism. Fragile X on it's own could cause several symptoms of autism.

Last edited by Katie_WPG on 23 May 2009, 11:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

I imagine that what you've been diagnosed with as young kid might have been a 'pervasive development disorder'.

Asperger's, as well as classical autism and a few other disorders are called pervasive development disorders as a group, because they share fundamental characteristics.

The causes for Asperger's and other forms of autism are really unknown still.

There are hints at small details that might be somehow connected to having autism, but nothing is for certain.

There is, however, an extremely small number of people who have AS, classical autism or so and who have noticeable chromosomal abnormalities such as missing a tiny part of a chromosome. Whether their autism truly comes from that or not though nobody can really know.

Yes, autism is the result of many chromosal additions/deletions.


Yes, autism isn't a singular disease, it's more of a group of diseases.


Doctors are reluctant to diagnose people with chromosomal disorders in such a way.


It could meaning everything, and it could mean nothing, it depends exactly what genetic material has been dupulicated and in what way, duplications in general aren't as severe as deletions however. In general, chromosomal anomalies usually have physical symptoms associated with them. Most disorders are what is called "De novo" (new), this means they occured spontaneously and will not be inherited. Some chromosomal deletions/duplications are inherited however (usually about 10%).

Isodicentric 15 is a disorder that results the extra material from the 15th chromosome, which causes autism.
Phelan McDermid Syndrome is a disorder in which part of the 22nd chromosome is missing. Although there is a related disorder in which the area is duplicated, both cause autism.

Most chromosomal disorders don't have names and are described by the exact change that has taken place. 16p11.2 duplication, being an example and also related to autism.

you can't ask your parents-- profile says your 17?

Pervasive is Pervasive developemental disorder, Asperger's is one of them.

It is not unusual for people with disorders of sexual development (intersex syndromes) to have learning disorders or autism. I have a DSD, and I have a PDD (though I am PDD-NOS essentially, I have SPD and NLD). DSDs include Klinefelter syndrome, Androgen Insensitivity Syndromes, etc.

Specifically about chromosome 16:
http://www.blisstree.com/autismvox/like ... -like-son/

Various chromosomal problems associated with autism:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_chromos ... s_Syndrome