Memory and Executive Skills in Youth with Learning Disorders

描述（由申请人提供）：2006年，美国5.5%的学龄儿童接受了学习障碍的特殊教育。学习障碍是一个重大的公共卫生问题，因为学业失败对受影响的儿童构成巨大风险。现在人们普遍认为，工作记忆功能在学生的学习能力中起着关键作用。工作记忆是指在短时间内存储和处理信息的能力。在学习的背景下，适当的工作记忆容量和工作记忆执行功能都是至关重要的，因为它们需要构建和修改信息，并将信息传递给长期记忆。因此，工作记忆功能是制约学生学习能力的重要因素。根据斯旺森的说法，工作记忆测量和成就之间的总体相关性在。55和。95。大量文献提供证据表明，有学习障碍的儿童在工作记忆测试中的表现不如正常发育的儿童。斯旺森和伯宁格已经证明，在所有类型的学习障碍或困难的儿童中，工作记忆表现一直很差。研究结果表明，工作记忆障碍是导致学习障碍学生学业失败的重要因素和潜在因素。最近的证据表明，工作记忆功能具有相当大的可塑性，这为有学习障碍的儿童提供了有效干预的潜力。这种干预的最终目标是一旦工作记忆限制得到改善，就能提高学习成绩。该项目将制作并测试一个基于网络的自定进度培训计划，旨在提高7至9岁有学习障碍的儿童的工作记忆能力和执行能力。培训制度将包括密集的接触（每天5周的培训），并将通过互联网提供到个人家中。治疗组的训练效果将在测试前、测试后和一个月的随访评估中与等候名单对照组进行比较。结果测量将包括工作记忆功能的近距离和远距离转移测试，流体智力测试，学习成绩测量（如伍德考克-约翰逊成就测试），以及家长对学习障碍症状的评分。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In 2006 5.5% of school-aged children in the U.S. received special education for a learning disability. Learning disabilities provide a significant public health concern since school failure poses an enormous risk for the affected child. There is now general agreement that working memory functions play a key role in student's ability to learn. Working memory refers to the ability to store and manipulate information for brief periods of time. In the context of learning, both proper working memory capacity and working memory executive functioning are critical, as they are needed to construct and modify information and to pass the information on to long-term memory. Thus, working memory function poses an important constraint on students' ability to learn. According to Swanson, the overall correlation between working memory measures and achievement have been found to range between .55 and .95. A large literature provides evidence that children with learning disabilities do not perform as well on working memory tests as typically developing children do. Swanson and Berninger have demonstrated consistently poor working memory performance in children with all types of learning disabilities or difficulties. These results indicate that working memory impairments are an important contributor and underlying factor that contribute to learning disabled students' academic failure. Recent evidence suggests considerable plasticity in working memory functions, which offers the potential for an effective intervention in children with learning disabilities. The ultimate goal of such interventions is to achieve improved academic performance once the working memory limitations are ameliorated. This project will produce and test a self-paced web-based training program designed to enhance working memory capacity and executive skills in 7 to 9 year old children with learning disabilities. The training regime will involve intensive exposure (5 weeks of daily training) and will be delivered into individuals' homes via the Internet. Training effects in the treatment group will be compared to a wait-list control group in pretest, posttest, and one month follow-up assessments. Outcome measures will include near and far transfer tests on working memory functionality, a fluid intelligence test, and measures of academic performance (e.g., Woodcock- Johnson III Test of Achievement), as well as parent ratings on learning disability symptoms. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: A learning disability in one or more academic areas poses a significant risk for future academic failure and related problem behavior. This program has the potential to improve working memory functioning (e.g. short term working memory capacity and executive control) in children with a learning disability. Improved working memory function will enhance the aptitude for learning and instruction in school or special education environments.