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ACQ
Volume 11, Number 2 2009
ACQ
uiring knowledge in speech, language and hearing
Memory functioning in children with reading
disabilities and/or ADHD.
Kibby, M., & Cohen, M. (2008). Memory functioning in
children with reading disabilities and/or attention deficit/
hyperactivity disorder: A clinical investigation of their working
memory and long-term memory functioning.
Child
Neuropsychology
,
14
, 525–546.
Michelle Quail
Past research has confirmed a link between specific learning
disability in reading (RD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD). This study aimed to investigate the specific
area of memory breakdown in these populations.
The authors hypothesised that children with RD would have
poor verbal short-term memory, unimpaired visual short-
term memory and no deficit in long-term memory (visual
and verbal). Using Baddeley’s model of working memory
(1986, 2000) they anticipated that these results would
reflect a specific deficit in the phonological loop component
of working memory. It was also thought that children with
RD would show greater difficulties on short-term memory
tasks when required to code for phonology as opposed to
semantics. Children with ADHD were predicted to have age-
appropriate phonological processing and long-term memory
skills. However, the central executive (allowing skills such as
problem-solving, mental flexibility, inhibition, motor control,
self-regulation) was thought to be an area of weakness.
This study involved the assessment of 113 children
aged between 6 and 15 years. The groups consisted of
children with RD, ADHD, comorbid RD and ADHD, and
typically developing children. Subtests of the Children’s
Memory Scale were used to assess the different memory
components across the domains of verbal short- and long-
term memory, visual short- and long-term memory, and
attention/working memory. Children with RD were found
to perform poorly on verbal memory tasks when coding by
phonology (e.g., recalling numbers) but not when coding
by semantics (e.g., recalling stories). This supports the
hypothesis that children with RD have a specific deficit
in the phonological loop component of working memory.
Children with ADHD performed well on the majority of verbal
short-term memory tasks and showed a mild deficit in visual
short-term memory which was more apparent in children
who were not on medication. Once general attention was
accounted for, these children showed no deficit on tasks
investigating central executive function. This contradicts the
original hypothesis that this was a specific area of deficit in
children with ADHD. The children with comorbid RD and
ADHD showed deficits reflecting a combination of the results
from the RD and ADHD groups with no additional difficulties.
The clinical implications for children with RD include the
need to relate verbal material to what is already known and
to provide semantic context in order to reduce the need for
phonetic coding. The use of repetition and supplementing
verbal instruction with visual aids will support both clinical
populations. For children with ADHD this will reduce the
pressure on the central executive. Teaching of specific
strategies to support working memory is also recommended.
Rapid serial naming is a predictor of spelling ability.
Savage, R., Pillay, V., & Melidona, S. (2008). Rapid serial
naming is a unique predictor of spelling in children.
Journal
of Learning Disabilities
,
41
(3), 235–250.
Michelle Quail
This study investigated rapid automatic naming (RAN) as a
predictor of spelling abilities. Past research has mainly
variance and 25% of real word reading variance). The family
history variable did not account for any variance above and
beyond these measures.
In conclusion this study suggest that due to the wide
variability in language skill at age 2, language assessment
at age 3 is more accurate in predicting later language and
reading achievement. It also highlights the importance of
monitoring the progress of children who present at the clinic
with poor language skills in their early years, particularly
those at risk for language learning impairment
Investigating the relationship between behaviour
problems and reading difficulties.
Morgan, P., Farkas, G., Tuftis, P., & Sperling, R. (2008). Are
reading and behaviour problems risk factors for each other?
Journal of Learning Disabilities
,
41
(5), 417–436.
Mary Claessen
This paper explores the relationship between behaviour
problems and reading difficulties. Reading difficulties and
behaviour problems frequently co-occur and there are a
number of causal models which attempt to explain the
relationship. These models try to explain whether there is a
common underlying problem which results in both behaviour
and reading difficulties, or whether difficulties in one cause
the other (i.e., difficulties in behaviour resulting in less
attention paid to important reading instruction, or reading
difficulties resulting in frustration, and thus behaviour
difficulties), or finally whether perhaps both reading and
behaviour difficulties cause each other. One recent model
suggests that deficits in executive functioning might lead to
reading difficulties. Executive functions are self-regulatory
processes and include skills such as selective attention,
planning, inhibition, and organisation.
This study explored whether children’s reading problems
predicted later behaviour problems and also whether early
behaviour problems predicted later reading difficulties.
The study used a set of longitudinal date from a sample
of 11,515 children. These children were assessed in
kindergarten, first grade and third grade. For the current
study, results from the following tests were analysed: “The
Reading Test” which comprises a range of tasks to assess
basic reading skills such as phonological awareness tasks,
receptive vocabulary and text comprehension, as well as
a “Teacher Social Rating Scale” which measures a child’s
behaviour.
After controlling for poor attention and socioeconomic
demographics, poor reading ability in first grade was
found to be a statistically and clinically significant predictor
of problem behaviour in third grade. Conversely, when
investigating whether behaviour difficulties in kindergarten
predicted reading difficulties in third grade, it was found
that only one behaviour difficulty (poor task engagement)
increased the likelihood of a child being a poor reader in
third grade. In contrast poor self-control, poor interpersonal
skills and internalising problems did not predict poor reading.
Task engagement may be considered to be proximally
related to poor executive functioning as the child is unable
to self-regulate goal-directed behaviour. And thus this study
supports a restricted executive function model where poor
self-regulation of behaviour constrains the child’s ability to
learn within the demands of a classroom.
Results of this study suggest the need for intervention
which targets both reading and behaviour problems
simultaneously.