Working memory, reading, and mathematical skills in children with developmental coordination disorder

Abstract

The aim of the present study was investigate the relationship between working memory and reading and mathematical skills in 55 children diagnosed with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The Wndings indicate a pervasive memory deWcit in all memory measures. In particular, deWcits observed in visuospatial short-term and working memory tasks were signiWcantly worse than in the verbal short-term memory ones. On the basis of these deWcits, the sample was divided into high and low visuospatial memory ability groups. The low visuospatial memory group performed signiWcantly worse on the attainment measures compared to the high visuospatial memory group, even when the contribution of IQ was taken into account. When the sample was divided into high and low verbal working memory ability groups, verbal working memory skills made a unique contribution to attainment only when verbal IQ was taken into account, but not when performance IQ was statistically controlled. It is possible that the processing demands of the working memory tasks together with the active motor component reXected in the visuospatial memory tasks and performance IQ subtest both play a crucial role in learning in children with DCD.