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Children With Klinefelter Syndrome

Arthur Schoenstadt, MD

Children with Klinefelter syndrome are very similar to other children their age. The most significant differences between children with Klinefelter syndrome and children without it are delays in language acquisition and development. Children with Klinefelter syndrome have the greatest difficulty with expressive language, which is the ability to put thoughts, ideas, and emotions into words.

An Overview of Children With Klinefelter Syndrome

Children with Klinefelter syndrome are not much different from other children their age. However, children with Klinefelter syndrome usually learn to walk later than most other children, and may have similar delays in learning to speak.

Language delays in children with Klinefelter syndrome are particularly important for parents to pay attention to. Klinefelter syndrome research has shown that seeking help early for language delays will greatly reduce any associated long-term effects.

Temperament of Children With Klinefelter Syndrome

Children with Klinefelter syndrome tend to start life as what many parents call "good babies" -- quiet, undemanding, and perhaps even a little passive. As toddlers, they may be somewhat shy and reserved. Throughout childhood -- perhaps, even, for the rest of their lives -- children with Klinefelter syndrome retain the same temperament and disposition they first displayed as infants and toddlers.

As a group, they tend to be shy, somewhat passive, and unlikely to take a leadership role. Although they do make friends with other children, they tend to have only a few friends at a time. Klinefelter research scientists also describe them as cooperative and eager to please.

Language Delays in Children With Klinefelter Syndrome Most males with Klinefelter syndrome have some degree of language impairment. As children, they often learn to speak much later than other children do, and they may have difficulty learning to read and write. And while they eventually do learn to speak and converse normally, the majority of males with Klinefelter syndrome tend to have some degree of difficulty with language throughout their lives. If untreated, this language impairment can lead to poor performance in school and its attendant loss of self-esteem.

In some children with Klinefelter syndrome, the language delays may be more severe, with the child not fully learning to talk until about age 5. Others may learn to speak at a normal rate, and not meet with any problems until they begin school, where they may experience reading difficulties. A few may not have any problems at all with learning to speak or learning to read.

Children with Klinefelter syndrome usually have difficulty with expressive language, which is the ability to put thoughts, ideas, and emotions into words. In contrast, their faculty for receptive language -- understanding what is said -- is close to normal.

Social Skills in Children With Klinefelter Syndrome

In addition to academic help, children with Klinefelter syndrome, like other language-disabled children, may need help with social skills. Language is essential, not only for learning the school curriculum, but also for building social relationships. By talking and listening, children make friends, and in the process, share information, attitudes, and beliefs. Through language, they also learn how to behave, not just in the schoolroom, but also on the playground. If a child's language disability seems to prevent him from fitting in socially, the parents of a child with Klinefelter syndrome may want to ask school officials about a social skills training program.

Seeking Help Early for Children With Klinefelter Syndrome

The parents of children with Klinefelter syndrome can compensate for their child's language disability by providing special help in language development, beginning at an early age. However, there is no easy formula to meet the language needs of all children with Klinefelter syndrome. Like everyone else, children with Klinefelter syndrome are unique individuals. A few may not have any trouble learning to read and write, while the rest may have language impairments ranging from mild to severe.

If their son's speech seems to be lagging behind that of other children, parents should ask their child's pediatrician for a referral to a speech pathologist for further testing. A speech pathologist specializes in the disorders of voice, speech, and language.

Public Law 99-457 is an amendment to Public Law 94-142 that assists states in providing special education services for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Eligibility requirements and entrance procedures vary from state to state. Parents can call the Federation for Children with Special Needs to learn which agencies to contact in their area.

Parents should also pay particular attention to their child's hearing. Like other small children, infants and toddlers with Klinefelter syndrome may suffer from frequent ear infections. With any child, such infections may impair hearing and delay the acquisition of language. Such a hearing impairment may be a further setback for children with Klinefelter syndrome who are already having language difficulties.