Some individuals with a TAF1-related disorder come from families that have a family history of intellectual disability. These families are often referred to genetic services as the disorder has an X-linked pattern of inheritance. Other individuals have no such family history and the genetic change starts for the first time with them.
Males inherit an X chromosome from their mother and a Y chromosome from their father. Males who inherit an X chromosome with a TAF1 gene change will have a TAF1-related disorder. Females have two X chromosomes; one from their mother and one from their father and each X-chromosome has a TAF1 gene. Females who have a gene change in one of their TAF1 genes are called carriers.