Multitasking Abilities in Adolescents With 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: Results From an Experimental Ecological Paradigm.

The team asked 30 teens with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and 30 typical peers to do a real-life multitask game.

Kids had to cook soup while answering math questions and watching for safety cues.

Researchers scored how well they kept track of every step and how fast they switched tasks.

The 22q11.the group missed twice as many steps and took longer to notice safety cues.

Lower multitask scores lined up with weaker daily-living skills and more negative symptoms.

In short, juggling even simple jobs is hard for these teens and it shows at home.

Storch et al. (2012) saw the same kids move slowly on timed fine-motor jobs, but not on untimed drawing.

That pattern fits: slow speed, not poor skill, drives the multitask gap seen here.

Sáez-Suanes et al. (2023) later tested young adults with the same chromosome change.

They found the same broad cognitive drag, proving the problem lasts past high school.

Kayabınar et al. (2025) ran a near-copy study with Duchenne kids and also linked dual-task slips to daily function.

Together the papers say: if a child has a genetic neurocondition, expect extra dual-task cost and check real-world safety.

You can add a quick multitask probe—walk while naming animals or carry a tray while sorting coins—to your intake.

A low score flags teens who need step-by-step visual schedules, extra processing time, or safety plans before cooking or community jobs.