Working memory and auditory processing

[debs40]

Looking to pick someone's brain. for my parental advice for SA.

The LA EP has identified that DS has very poor working memory (5th centile). She has scored DS' cognitive profile and said this is an area of weakness but she has not really drawn any conclusions from this or discussed its impact save to say it willl make numeracy difficult. She says he might benefit from some specific work on it.

I understand that poor working memory can be a sign of auditory processing problems. This was flagged up by BIBIC and our SALT ((private SALT) but ignored by everyone else. It seems to me that it is clear that DS struggles to attend and focus but she has not commented on this.

She has certainly ignored the fact that he completely flagged by the end of the session and was just randomly selcting answers. He was also responding 'eh' or 'what' too every question so thta it had to be repeated. This is ignored.

Any ammo on the consequences of poor working memory much appreciated

i don't know how old your ds is, but mine is nearly 13, same problem & it means he can't copy instructions or text from the board at school.

Ed Psych told me there was nothing to be done for Working Memory (hence he wasn't even going to test it )

Hope he is wrong...

If you find out anything can you please post back here.

Thinking and problem solving processes in maths involve using working memory. Working memory supports the ability to visualise the maths question whilst working through the steps of problem solving. Pupils also need to be able to access information that they have stored in their memory from previous lessons.
Children with poor working memory will find it difficult to make links between different areas of learning. Concrete apparatus will help ....to visually store information.
In planning teachers need to ensure that the load on a pupil?s short-term memory is not too great. Teachers need to aim to teach at the learner?s pace and provide thinking time. Structuring teaching into small progressive steps can be a helpful strategy.

....have cut and pasted from an essay I did when I did some work on maths and spld

Thanks! Will use that childrenofthecornsilk!!

Do you know if there are formal methods of testing working memory and improving it? I was looking at Tracey Alloway's site.

WM is a funny one - think of it as your pc's reaction speed to a keystroke as opposed to what is stored on the hard drive.

ds(12) has a similar profile. His recent WM score was 1st percentile, in real terms worse than 2 years ago. It became apparent that the test was numeric based and potentially he had switched off due to the nature of what he was being asked to do (ie recount numbers in sequence or identify the nth one). His verbal skills are at the other end of the scale and his maths average yet his attainment in mental maths and french oral for example, both of which are time rpessured, are relatively low.

You can assist WM if not develop it. Once you can identify the strengths within his memory (visual, verbal etc) then he can start to form a meaningful relationship to go with whatever he needs to recall. Strategies along the liens of how some people remember names/faces at a party or meeting (Jim- square jaw, Frank-false teeth ) or mnemonics. Alternatively a multi sensory approach which will give him a wider means of recall through tactile clues.

working memory test battery can be used as an assessment but the Ed Pysch's assessments should be enough.
Multi-sensory teaching is good as LIZS says (which is why it is recommended for dyslexic learners as working memory can be a real barrier to learning for pupils with dyslexia.)
How do you think your ds learns best? Is he a visual learner for instance?

Thanks for this.DS is definitely a visual learner. Problems with processing verbal information I think. Any further info much appreciated - including more info on multi-sensory approach

multi-sensory approach would include using concrete apparatus and ICT. Did he do well on the spatial reasoning part of the test?

What would that be called? There is nothing called that in the report.

Is his issue with processing verbal information ie. written instructions or aural information ie. being asked to do something? He could still have strong verbal skills, even if the latter, ie. a wide vocabulary and good comprehension skills, but not be able to process it as well if presented orally. Were these areas tested too? The use of another media to substitute or reinforce the oral instruction could eb useful.

Thanks. It is verbal instructions that he seems to have the problem processing

Debs, has your ds been tested by SALT things like understanding of spoken language?

Language skills are fine Claw.

Sorry posted too quick...meant to add. He did the CELF which is all the SALTs here seem to offer.

The reason i ask is that SALT did 2 tests with ds.

1st - "This assessment requires the child to listen to three short stories and then answer a series of questions based on what they have heard.

2nd "This assessment is used to assess a child's ability to 'make links'

They sound as if they would be a good test of working memory and auditory processing?

They do, but no, didn't have anything as useful as that!

Claw does the 2nd assessment assess his word finding and 'knowledge of language'? I see how it could also be used as an assessment of working memory strategy.

WM difficulties will also impact on automaticity in writing. Does he struggle with spelling and reading? WM may impact on his ability to hold a sentence in his head whilst he decodes or encodes a word he's not sure of. As the others up there have said, it can really get in the way of working efficiently.

The strategies for classwork are really important, as is building compensatory strategies for the child. I do a lot of small step work on WM difficulties, trying to build capacity and strategies.

I'd be really interested in any research basis regarding the lifetime impact of WM difficulties.

My eldest has WM and processing speed difficulties.

He seemed to do really well with spelling and reading and processing speed. The latter was based on a written number test.

He does struggle with writing but he has hypermobile joints.

Do keep an eye on spelling and reading 'in context'. Children often perform much better when they are being tested on single words rather than when they are writing them in a 'stream of consciousness'

I completely get what you mean and I think you are right and it probably explains why he likes picture books so much!

Bramble, the 2nd assessment "to categorise words that are related or unrelated by class, opposites, spatial or temporal features" verbal comprehension (which 2 words went together), ds was then asked to explain his answers, expression.

Ds has an advanced reading age and spelling age (about 2 years ahead), but he scored on the 0.4 percentile for the above test.

Ds was also tested on 'word finding' and he scored 2 years behind.

Debs i was just thinking your ds might get more help ie 1:1 SALT if you can show it to be SALT thing if you see what i mean.

The BAS for spatial skills is Recall of Designs debs. Your private EP may well do it as part of your sons cognitive assessment. A child is asked to look at designs and recall them from memory by drawing them. Its scored in 2 ways on the info recalled and the accuracy of the drawings.

Here is what my sons EP recommended for his verbal memory difficulties.

Establish attention and maintain eye contact.
Focus Ds's attention by saying his name prior to instruction (if necessary).
Break down instructions into small units.
Repeat instructions keeping consistency in the language used.
Verbal task instructions to be reinforced, if appropriate, with written prompts.