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Let me tell you about
my son.........
He is almost 15 and was
diagnosed about 3 months ago. I took him to the pediatrician this
summer for his pre-high school exam, and his doctor noted his
small testicle size and suggested follow-up. Since that time we
have been reading and researching furiously, and have talked to
many geneticist and a pediatric endocrinologist. One consistency
I have found is that the information about XXY is inconsistent
and more importantly, symptoms and manifestations in those
diagnosed as XXY are highly variable. Certainly all XXY males
have some things in common -- most specifically, a chromosomal
signature of XXY, small testicles, and infertility. Many - but
not all - report learning difficulties, shyness and social
problems, and a feeling of being "different" from their
peers when growing up. Perhaps these are all due to the genetics
of XXY, but I know other young males who are not XXY and have
learning disabilities - so I suspect this reference to "not
fitting in" might be due partially to these learning
perceptual differences. My son has ADD (so do millions of other
children and adults in the world). After we received his
diagnosis we had him accessed by a learning specialist who did a
battery of tests (known as the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational
Battery). The results : his abilities in math were average for
his age, but his different reading and language abilities (as
measured by the test) ranged from above average to superior.
According to the learning specialist, with proper treatment for
his attentional problems, he should be able to succeed
academically - at least a "B" average in standard high
school courses. Another thing that may be contributing to his
school performance is a lack of energy, but I suspect that once
he is on testosterone, this will improve. In My opinion it is
important to remember that there are no guarantees. But when are
there ever? Your son may have some language and speech
difficulties, unlike mine who was reading by 3 1/2. Your son
might be more of a loner unlike mine who cant wait to have a
friend over. I could go on forever but I think you get my
message. Some things you can predict, some you can not. The
geneticist we talked to recently told us that some prospective
parents are horrified by the thought of a child with learning
differences, etc. Frankly, I find it horrifying that someone
might abort an XXY fetus. Sure, there have been challenges with
our son but even if I had a dozen children he would be as loved
and wanted as the rest. I can not imagine a life without him and
the joy he has given, and continues to give to us.
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