Much like Autism itself, dup15q has certainly been around for a long time, but only “officially” surfaced recently as we learn more about genetics, DNA, Chromosomes, and similar. As of now, there is no known cause or lifestyle link to the condition – parents of every race, nationality, and socioeconomic background can give birth to a dup15q child. Like other genetic syndromes, there is no “cure”, but through better understanding and support, the day-to-day lives of those affected, as well as their families and caregivers, can be greatly improved.

One aspect of the condition is the fact that there is not a unifying stereotype. There are some common physical characteristics that many, but not all, with the syndrome share (like a button nose, lower set ears, etc.). Thus, two different children with dup15q syndrome can be very different in abilities and development. One might have obvious speech and developmental disabilities, and the other might not show any immediately recognizable disability or symptom.

Because of the “recentness” of the syndrome, there is simply not as much support and resources available as there are for other better-known conditions. This will certainly change as time goes on of course, but for the families dealing with this today, their time is now.