TABLE 1.

Treatment recommendations for improving neurodevelopmental outcome in 22q11 DS during infancy and early childhood (0–6y)

Developmental area	Developmental features	Treatment recommendations
Motor development	Hypotonia and neuromotor deficits	Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and sensory integration therapy from early age on
Feeding	Poor sucking, nasal reflux, and oral motor coordination problems	Medical guidance/monitoring of feeding problems Feeding advice (feeding specialist with expertise in 22q11 DS)
Speech and language	Impaired speech and language development, hypernasality, high-pitched voice, and compensatory speech	Speech and language therapy, total communication approach (verbal, non-verbal, and sign language in combination with oral speech) (Solot et al., 2001)
		In the case of severe hypernasality, a pharyngoplasty is sometimes required
Neurodevelopment/Cognitive development	Varying degree of impairment (from borderline development to mild–moderate ID)	Educational monitoring
		Early childhood specialist
		Anticipatory guidance
Social–emotional development and social skills	Emotionally reactive	Provide a secure and highly structured environment
	Problems with regulation of emotion and behavior	Infant mental health intervention
	Socially withdrawn, poor peer relations, self-directed behavior	Play therapy (structured play to promote social play)
	Social anxiety and general anxieties	Structured (social) group experience
Attention	Easily distracted, impulsiveness	Structured (learning) environment
		Environment free from stimuli
		Use visual aids to improve sustained attention (sand timer; time-timer, etc.)