Fragile X in a Survey of 75 Autistic Males

To the Editor: There are several reports of fragile X in male patients previously diagnosed as having infantile autism or mental retardation with “autistic features.”^{1 2 3 4} However, there have been no published reports on the prevalence of the fragile X syndrome in populations of autistic males. We have screened systematically for fragile X in 76 subjects with infantile autism as defined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual criteria.⁵ Cell culture and harvest methods were the same as those previously described.^6,7 Sixty cases were identified in special facilities for mentally retarded or autistic persons. At the Southbury Training School, a state institution with.