Word-finding difficulties, verbal paraphasias, and verbal dyspraxia in ten individuals with fragile X syndrome. 
Speech/language disorders are common in the fragile X syndrome. [ Howard-Peebles, 1979: Am J Hom Genet 31:214-222; Renier et al.,  1983: J Ment Defic Res 27:51-59; Sparks, 1984: Birth Defects and Speech-Language Disorders, pp.  39-43; Hanson et al.,  1986: Am J Med Genet 23:195-206].  Verbal paraphasias have been considered a rare feature and word-finding difficulties have seldom been reported.  Here we report on ten Brazilian patients who were evaluated for speech/language disturbances and found that word-finding difficulties were present in 50% of the cases, which is a slightly higher frequency than that of clear dyspraxia.  We suggest, therefore, that word-finding difficulties and verbal dyspraxia can be a common feature within the spectrum of this syndrome.  Additional speech findings are discussed.