Talking with children and young people with 22q11DS about their mental health, behaviour, learning and communication.

The emotional impact of 22q11DS on CYP can be significant: They often do not understand the consequences of having 22q11DS and are frequently not given strategies to understand and manage their feelings, behaviour or problems. This leads to a range of emotions that manifest in different ways at home and at school. CYP are able to talk about the impact of different aspects of 22q11DS on them, facilitated by the use of creative methods, but they differ in how the condition affects them and their perceptions about that. It is imperative that CYP themselves are asked about their experiences, feelings and needs to ensure tailoring of interventions to their individual requirements.