Cognitive Strengths and Weaknesses in Down syndrome

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DESCRIPTION (Provided by Applicant): For individuals with Down syndrome, the most common genetic mental retardation syndrome, research is converging on a cognitive profile consisting of poor verbal working memory and relatively stronger visuo-spatial processing. The implications of this research point to changes in the way children with Down syndrome are taught. Yet this information has remained relatively under-utilized by practitioners, possibly because the visuo-spatial processing relative strength remains poorly understood. In this application, the investigator proposes to: in Specific Aim 1, describe the strengths and weaknesses within the visuo-spatial relative strength in Down syndrome; and in Specific Aim 2, explore the relationship between performance on domains within visuo-spatial processing and other domains of processing (i.e. verbal working memory, auditory processing, expressive vocabulary, reading/decoding, logic). In subsequent research endeavors, the investigator also plans to identify strategies for improving auditory-dependent outcomes in Down syndrome (such as language acquisition) through the relative strength in visuo-spatial processing.