# Language, physiology, and anxiety across contexts in autism spectrum disorder and fragile X syndrome

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2021 · $35,624

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and fragile X syndrome (FXS) are two disorders associated with pervasive
and lifelong deficits. ASD occurs in approximately one out of every 59 children. FXS is a genetic disorder and
is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability. In addition, FXS is the most common genetic
cause of ASD. Boys with FXS and many boys with ASD demonstrate deficits in grammar and vocabulary skills
in addition to social communication deficits. Both ASD and FXS are also associated with increases in anxiety
disorders and atypical physiological arousal. Deficits in these areas may impact communication skills,
particularly when interacting with an unfamiliar communication partner. Familiarity with the communication
partner (e.g., child's mother versus an unfamiliar examiner) may impact physiological arousal in these clinical
populations. In addition to understanding differences in language performance and physiological arousal
across communication partners, it is critical to consider factors such as ASD severity and anxiety in these
clinical populations, including the impact of these variables on language. It is unclear whether anxiety
symptoms, physiological arousal, and ASD symptoms relate to language performance depending on the
communication partner. This project will address two specific aims: 1) to examine how communication partner
impacts language performance and physiological arousal in boys with ASD and boys with FXS, and 2) to
investigate the relationship between physiological arousal, anxiety symptoms, ASD severity and language
performance in boys with ASD and boys with FXS during interactions with two different communication
partners. This project will include 20 boys with ASD and 20 boys with FXS, all between nine and 18 years of
age. To assess language performance, the participants will complete two conversational language samples,
one with their mother and one with an unfamiliar examiner. Participants will wear wristbands tracking
physiological arousal during the conversations. In addition, all participants will complete an assessment to
quantify ASD symptom severity and parents will complete a parent report form to measure anxiety symptoms.
From a public health perspective, this work will improve assessment methods for boys with ASD and boys with
FXS by providing important insight regarding how to interpret speech and language assessments utilizing
conversational language samples with different communication partners. This project will provide important
theoretical contributions to our knowledge regarding biobehavioral models; specifically, this work will shed light
on the relationship between language performance, physiological arousal, ASD symptoms and anxiety in boys
with ASD and boys with FXS.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10119148
- **Project number:** 5F31DC018716-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** EMILY KATHRYN LORANG
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $35,624
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10119148

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10119148, Language, physiology, and anxiety across contexts in autism spectrum disorder and fragile X syndrome (5F31DC018716-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10119148. Licensed CC0.

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