Verbal perseveration is a frequently reported language characteristic of males with Fragile X syndrome and may be a defining feature or hallmark of the syndrome. We compared the verbal perseveration of boys with Fragile X syndrome with (n = 29) and without (n = 30) autism spectrum disorder, boys with Down syndrome (n = 27), and typically developing boys (n = 25) at similar nonverbal mental ages. During a social interaction, boys with both Fragile X syndrome and autism spectrum disorder produced significantly more topic perseveration than all other groups. In social interaction as compared to narration, boys with Fragile X syndrome (regardless of autism status) produced significantly more topic perseveration. These findings suggest that autism status, as well as language sampling context, affect perseveration in boys with Fragile X syndrome
