Poor Working Memory and Academic Achievement

[Sally44]

Working Memory scores are seen as being as reliable, if not more reliable than IQ tests when assessing the potential academic progress a child might make.

However recently it is being suggested that some children do not have global WM difficulties associated with MLD, but may have specific WM difficulties ie. difficulties with verbal WM or WM with literacy and numeracy, but may have 'typical' WM for visuo spatial abilities.

What does this mean??

It means that some children may need a different environment from a MLD school and may need very specific teaching.

There are ways that work can be presented to help with working memory.

Working memory can also be improved.

 

This is the link to the BPS article:

 

http://www.thepsychologist.org.uk/archive/...p;editionID=160

[Karen A]

I am confused.

I have read through the research.As far as I can understand most of the strategies suggested are those often used for children with ASD or dyspraxia.For example breaking information into small chunks,using visual information to support learning.I did not find anything in the information to support your assumption that the information provided is evidence that specific teaching or a different environment is needed. In fact the author states '' A particular strength of this approach is that it is integrated with the current delivery of the curriculum.''

 

In any case I already know as a result of EP assessments that Ben has difficulties with remembering verbal information but has a very well developed ability to recall information presented in visual form.This is one of the features that is recognised as being part of AS and dyspraxia.As far as I can understand this is another label for the same thing

 

One of the main assessment tools included in the article the ''Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children '' is used by EPS in assessments already.The EP used it in assessments for Ben which formed part of the Statuary Assessment process.

 

Also in order to be used as evidence information needs to have been assessed independently and evaluated.This appears to be based on a professional opinion.Furthermore no details are provided regarding those with ASD.So the information cannot be taken as applying to a different group to those included in the article.

 

Actually the information suggests that those included in the article as having ''poor working memmory'' have ''usual social relationships with peers'' which would surely not be compatible with having an ASD diagnosis.

 

Karen.

Edited March 6, 2010 by Karen A

[coolblue]

My son has significant problems with working memory, so I've looked into this in some depth. The concept of working memory was first developed by Baddeley and Hitch in the 1970s. They put forward the idea of what was called the phonological loop - a small capacity, short-term 'scratchpad' which could hold information for a few seconds while it was being used. Rehearsing telephone numbers while you dial them, or remembering instructions while you carry them out are typical examples. This turned out to be what Alan Baddeley has called a very good guess because it took a couple of decades for the mechanism to be discovered.

 

The story so far is that auditory information (a couple of instructions, say) is processed in the temporal lobe of the brain. But the auditory signal is also sent to the frontal lobes (the 'executive centre' of the brain used for decision-making, control of behaviour etc) and is played there repeatedly until it fades or is no longer needed. This is auditory working memory. It looks as though there is a separate mechanism for visual working memory that operates using the same principle. It's possible that many brain functions have a working memory component. If you're interested, there's a detailed paper on this by Wagner Bunge & Badre (if you Google the names of the authors & working memory, you should come up with some relevant work).

 

Working memory could be disrupted for a variety of reasons. There might be abnormal development of the frontal lobes, abnormal levels of neurotransmitters sending signals to the frontal lobes, temporal lobe abnormalities, or intermittent problems with the ear itself. Similar problems could disrupt visual working memory, only with the visual system, obviously.

 

My son has slower than normal auditory processing, which makes it hard for him to process speech, so it's hardly surprising his working memory is affected. Abnormal balance affects his eye movements which means his visual working memory is impaired too. But his long-term memory is eidetic - he can remember scripts or scenes in detail. It's the manipulation aspect he struggles with. We've addressed this at home by using clear, slow speech, large print books and minimal auditory or visual 'clutter'. This has really helped his working memory.

 

I get the impression that the author of the BPS article has tried to generalise the characteristics typical of children with working memory problems in order to help teachers recognise the signs. The danger with this is that teachers will see it as another 'condition' and we'll have another one size fits all solution. I've tried one of the working memory games devised by Tracey Alloway (mentioned in the article), for example, and it was simply too fast and too complex for my son to keep up with. My take on this is that auditory and visual working memory can be impaired to varying degrees in different individuals and whether they have social or communicative problems will depend on the degree of impairment and on other factors. I don't see working memory impairment as a 'condition' but as an aspect of brain function. Since my son got a diagnosis of autism, everything is now attributed to his 'autism' it seems, and specific sensory and cognitive difficulties are not treated as specific sensory and cognitive difficulties.

 

cb

 

 

[Sally44]

I am confused.

I have read through the research.As far as I can understand most of the strategies suggested are those often used for children with ASD or dyspraxia.For example breaking information into small chunks,using visual information to support learning.I did not find anything in the information to support your assumption that the information provided is evidence that specific teaching or a different environment is needed. In fact the author states '' A particular strength of this approach is that it is integrated with the current delivery of the curriculum.''

 

In any case I already know as a result of EP assessments that Ben has difficulties with remembering verbal information but has a very well developed ability to recall information presented in visual form.This is one of the features that is recognised as being part of AS and dyspraxia.As far as I can understand this is another label for the same thing

 

One of the main assessment tools included in the article the ''Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children '' is used by EPS in assessments already.The EP used it in assessments for Ben which formed part of the Statuary Assessment process.

 

Also in order to be used as evidence information needs to have been assessed independently and evaluated.This appears to be based on a professional opinion.Furthermore no details are provided regarding those with ASD.So the information cannot be taken as applying to a different group to those included in the article.

 

Actually the information suggests that those included in the article as having ''poor working memmory'' have ''usual social relationships with peers'' which would surely not be compatible with having an ASD diagnosis.

 

Karen.

 

The reason I posted is that if WM is considered an indicator of IQ, then a number of children with poor WM may be considered to be MLD when that may not be the case. I just thought this is something parents may be interested in. Every child is not thoroughly assessed, and if they are showing difficulties with WM and are not making good academic progress, then it may be assumed they have MLD, when further investigation maybe needed.

In your son's case, if he is doing reasonably well academically, then MLD may not be considered. But for a child that also has SPLD and is not doing wel academically the combination of WM as well may start to point towards MLD. So the above link maybe useful to those parents.

I'm not disputing the approaches you've already itemised.

[Sally44]

My son has significant problems with working memory, so I've looked into this in some depth. The concept of working memory was first developed by Baddeley and Hitch in the 1970s. They put forward the idea of what was called the phonological loop - a small capacity, short-term 'scratchpad' which could hold information for a few seconds while it was being used. Rehearsing telephone numbers while you dial them, or remembering instructions while you carry them out are typical examples. This turned out to be what Alan Baddeley has called a very good guess because it took a couple of decades for the mechanism to be discovered.

 

The story so far is that auditory information (a couple of instructions, say) is processed in the temporal lobe of the brain. But the auditory signal is also sent to the frontal lobes (the 'executive centre' of the brain used for decision-making, control of behaviour etc) and is played there repeatedly until it fades or is no longer needed. This is auditory working memory. It looks as though there is a separate mechanism for visual working memory that operates using the same principle. It's possible that many brain functions have a working memory component. If you're interested, there's a detailed paper on this by Wagner Bunge & Badre (if you Google the names of the authors & working memory, you should come up with some relevant work).

 

Working memory could be disrupted for a variety of reasons. There might be abnormal development of the frontal lobes, abnormal levels of neurotransmitters sending signals to the frontal lobes, temporal lobe abnormalities, or intermittent problems with the ear itself. Similar problems could disrupt visual working memory, only with the visual system, obviously.

 

My son has slower than normal auditory processing, which makes it hard for him to process speech, so it's hardly surprising his working memory is affected. Abnormal balance affects his eye movements which means his visual working memory is impaired too. But his long-term memory is eidetic - he can remember scripts or scenes in detail. It's the manipulation aspect he struggles with. We've addressed this at home by using clear, slow speech, large print books and minimal auditory or visual 'clutter'. This has really helped his working memory.

 

I get the impression that the author of the BPS article has tried to generalise the characteristics typical of children with working memory problems in order to help teachers recognise the signs. The danger with this is that teachers will see it as another 'condition' and we'll have another one size fits all solution. I've tried one of the working memory games devised by Tracey Alloway (mentioned in the article), for example, and it was simply too fast and too complex for my son to keep up with. My take on this is that auditory and visual working memory can be impaired to varying degrees in different individuals and whether they have social or communicative problems will depend on the degree of impairment and on other factors. I don't see working memory impairment as a 'condition' but as an aspect of brain function. Since my son got a diagnosis of autism, everything is now attributed to his 'autism' it seems, and specific sensory and cognitive difficulties are not treated as specific sensory and cognitive difficulties.

 

cb

 

 

Has it ever been suggested to you that your sons difficulties might be due to MLD? I'm asking simply because my own son does have WM problems, and various other difficulties which I see as separate and compounding conditions which severely affect his ability to demonstrate learning. Yet I don't see him as MLD. I am worried that that maybe an avenue the LEA EP wants to go down with regard to suitable secondary school placements.

The LEA EP has also said that you cannot improve WM. Which appears not to be true.

I'm just interested in other parents perspective on this.

If good WM Viso-spatial abilities is an indicator that MLD is not relevent, then that is worth knowing.

And if poor WM viso-spatial abilities is due to other things such as dyspraxia, does that again rule out MLD.

I'm finding the definitions quite confusing.

[av16]

Non-verbal reasoning tests are good for determining areas of ability that might not be picked up by using tests that rely on language or memory. I've seen cases where children may have been diagnosed MLD but had normal or better non-verbal reasoning test results. Sally44 was your DS given any of these type of tests?

[Sally44]

No he hasn't had any tests done. But I just want to know how ability can be assessed and what the outcome of those means. I know he has poor WM. So I just want to make sure that the right kind of assessments are done. Otherwise the LEA may suggest a MLD secondary school. If WM alone is not an indicator of that level of difficulty, then I want to know what kind of assessments should be carried out.

My understanding was always that MLD like GDD was when the child did poorly across all areas. Assessments on my son have always shown a spiky profile eg. percentile of 2 for understanding verbal instructions and 92 for pattern recognition. Although this was not a WM assessment, I think this high ability in one area may mean his WM in this area is also very good. Again at the Annual Review meeting I mentioned this spiky profile as an indicator of wide ranging abilities. The LEA EP again dismissed this as she said it was not an assessment of cognitive ability.

The same EP also dismissed the results of a private EP assessment using the weschler assessment. My son came out as high average on that. But the EP had to change how she presented the assessment ie. not with concrete objects, but with photographs of them. That meant this was not a standardised assessment, therefore the LEA EP has dismissed its findings. I have contacted the British Psychology Society and have asked them about this. EPs do carry out standardised and non-standardised assessments. Therefore both should hold weight, otherwise there is no point EPs doing them. So I have asked them how an EP can dismissed another EPs findings because they were not standardised assessments. They are going to reply, and I will be interested in what they have to say on this.

But the fact that the LEA EP is trying to dismiss other assessments and reports (one carried out by a former LEA EP), and because she has said that there can be 'other' reasons for why a child is achieving poorly, leads me to consider that she maybe thinking of MLD.