Bringing the 22qll.2 Deletion into the 21st Century

This project is a 4-day international symposium for families with and professionals interested in the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. The conference will be held from June 22-25, 2000 at the Penn Towers Hotel and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The first such conference was held in Strasbourg, France in September 1998 and was attended by more than 100 professionals and parents representing 18 countries. The Philadelphia conference is expected to attract of 500 participants, including prominent laboratory and clinical researchers interested in the 22q11.2 deletion, as well as families from across the country and abroad. This conference will be the largest and most comprehensive meeting to date dedicated to this common genetic cause of congenital anomalies, speech and language disorders, and developmental disabilities. This symposium aims to bring together interested scientists and families from around the world to achieve the following goals: 1) to increase awareness of the syndrome and its symptoms among clinicians; 2) to stimulate international collaboration among 22q11.2 deletion researchers; 3) to educate families and their health care providers about the appropriate management and monitoring of children with the deletion syndrome; 4) to begin to educate educators about the specific learning disability associated with the deletion; and 5) to provide a forum for families and professionals to learn about each other's interests, needs, and concerns.