Traits

Traits linked to FOXP2

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The Human Phenotype Ontology links 70 traits to FOXP2, by body system: features seen in people with one of the gene's rare conditions.

FOXP2

Abnormality of the nervous system

Trait	How often it is seen
Abnormal speech pattern	Very often (80–99%)
Delayed speech and language development	Very often (80–99%)
Abnormal prosody	Often (30–79%)
Communication delay	Often (30–79%)
Difficulty articulating speech	Often (30–79%)
Grammar-specific speech disorder	Often (30–79%)
Incomprehensible speech	Often (30–79%)
Poor fine motor coordination	Often (30–79%)
Poor speech	Often (30–79%)
Receptive language delay	Often (30–79%)
Specific learning disability	Often (30–79%)
Speech apraxia	Often (30–79%)
Abnormal caudate nucleus morphology	Sometimes (5–29%)
Abnormal temper tantrums	Sometimes (5–29%)
Autism spectrum disorder	Sometimes (5–29%)
Caudate atrophy	Sometimes (5–29%)
Delayed social development	Sometimes (5–29%)
Hypoplasia of the olfactory bulb	Sometimes (5–29%)
Intellectual disability	Sometimes (5–29%)
More active than typical	Sometimes (5–29%)
Neurodevelopmental delay	Sometimes (5–29%)
Poor gross motor coordination	Sometimes (5–29%)
Severe global developmental delay	Sometimes (5–29%)
Short attention span	Sometimes (5–29%)
Abnormal basal ganglia morphology	Not recorded
Oromotor apraxia	Not recorded

Abnormality of head or neck

Trait	How often it is seen
Asymmetry of the posterior head	Sometimes (5–29%)
Big calvaria	Sometimes (5–29%)
Corners of eye widely separated	Sometimes (5–29%)
Decreased size of maxilla	Sometimes (5–29%)
Drooling	Sometimes (5–29%)
Eye folds	Sometimes (5–29%)
Long philtrum	Sometimes (5–29%)
Prominent nose	Sometimes (5–29%)
Short opening between the eyelids	Sometimes (5–29%)
Wide mouth	Sometimes (5–29%)
Wide nasal ridge	Sometimes (5–29%)
Wry neck	Sometimes (5–29%)
High, narrow palate	Rarely (1–4%)
Horizontal eyebrow	Rarely (1–4%)
Submucous cleft hard palate	Rarely (1–4%)

Abnormality of the ear

Trait	How often it is seen
Childhood onset sensorineural hearing impairment	Sometimes (5–29%)
Enlarged cochlear aqueduct	Sometimes (5–29%)
Hypoplasia of the cochlea	Sometimes (5–29%)
Hypoplasia of the semicircular canal	Sometimes (5–29%)
Low-set ears	Sometimes (5–29%)
Overfolded ears	Rarely (1–4%)

Abnormality of the digestive system

Trait	How often it is seen
Acid reflux	Sometimes (5–29%)
Feeding difficulties	Sometimes (5–29%)
Nasogastric tube feeding in infancy	Sometimes (5–29%)
Poor swallowing	Sometimes (5–29%)

Abnormality of the musculoskeletal system

Trait	How often it is seen
Delayed bone maturation	Sometimes (5–29%)
Low muscle tone in trunk	Sometimes (5–29%)
Muscle degeneration	Sometimes (5–29%)
Scoliosis	Sometimes (5–29%)

Abnormality of the immune system

Trait	How often it is seen
Recurrent ear infections	Often (30–79%)
Asthma	Sometimes (5–29%)
Recurrent respiratory infections	Sometimes (5–29%)

Abnormality of limbs

Trait	How often it is seen
Curvature of index finger	Sometimes (5–29%)
Prominent fingertip pads	Sometimes (5–29%)

Abnormality of the cardiovascular system

Trait	How often it is seen
An opening in the wall separating the top two chambers of the heart	Sometimes (5–29%)
Patent ductus arteriosus after birth at term	Sometimes (5–29%)

Abnormality of the eye

Trait	How often it is seen
Esodeviation	Sometimes (5–29%)
Wide-set eyes	Sometimes (5–29%)

Growth abnormality

Trait	How often it is seen
Growth delay as children	Sometimes (5–29%)
Prenatal growth deficiency	Sometimes (5–29%)

Abnormality of blood and blood-forming tissues

Trait	How often it is seen
Abnormality of von Willebrand factor	Sometimes (5–29%)

Abnormality of the genitourinary system

Trait	How often it is seen
Enuresis nocturna	Sometimes (5–29%)

Abnormality of the voice

Trait	How often it is seen
Nasal speech	Sometimes (5–29%)

Laboratory abnormality

Trait	How often it is seen
Increased urinary galactose level	Sometimes (5–29%)

How often is among people with one of the gene's conditions, the most often across them, as the Human Phenotype Ontology records it. These pages describe traits and the research behind them; they are not a diagnosis, and a doctor or genetic counsellor is the person to ask about symptoms.

Where this comes from

The Human Phenotype Ontology, release 2026-09-01: the traits linked to FOXP2 and how often each is seen. Find out more at hpo.jax.org.

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