Many children with 22q have some social difficulties, developmental delays or learning disabilities. For the majority, the symptoms are not severe or extensive enough to warrant an autism diagnosis. Individuals with 22q also share common health issues. Many have heart defects and immune problems.

Developmental delay is often seen in children with 22q11. 2 deletion syndrome, including a delay in language. As the child grows older, intellectual disability and learning differences are likely to become more obvious. Verbal IQ is often greater than performance IQ as the child grows.

What Is 22q Deletion Syndrome? 22q11. 2 deletion syndrome (22q) can affect any system of the body, however most children with 22q have heart, immune, learning, speech, and/or behavior difficulties. Each person with 22q has their own unique needs, and interdisciplinary team care is the best management approach.

The DiGeorge syndrome, the most common of the microdeletion syndromes, affects multiple organs, including the heart, the nervous system, and the kidney. It is caused by deletions on chromosome 22q11. 2; the genetic driver of the kidney defects is unknown.