Communication disorders in the 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome

The 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome is a genetic disorder that is being reco gnized with increasing frequency. Confirmation of the diagnosis can be made using fluorescence in situ hybridization, Many medical and developmental p roblems are present in children with this syndrome. Communication disorders are among the most common features of this syndrome and include articulati on, language, resonance, and voice problems. The purpose of this paper is t o provide a description of the communicative and developmental features in a sample of children with the 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome seen for evalu ation. Because communication and feeding disorders may be presenting featur es of this syndrome, speech and language pathologists must be familiar with this syndrome and its various characteristics. Awareness of these features and a multidisciplinary approach are necessary for the identification and treatment of the complex communicative and medical problems present in this population. (C) 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc.