Rett Syndrome

A rare, X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder caused in most cases by mutations in the MECP2 gene, affecting almost exclusively females. After typical early development, children with Rett syndrome lose purposeful hand use and acquired speech between 6-18 months, develop stereotypic hand movements, and often experience gait abnormalities, seizures, breathing irregularities, and severe intellectual disability. Because expressive speech and fine motor control are profoundly affected while receptive understanding is often preserved, Rett syndrome is a key population for eye-gaze AAC, switch access, and accessible communication research. Digital accessibility work for Rett users emphasises non-verbal input, dwell-based selection, and interfaces that do not assume typing or speech.