Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T04:28:14.086Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The relationship among children’s learning disabilities, working memory, and problem behaviours in a classroom setting: Three case studies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2020

Tracy Packiam Alloway  and
Rachel K. Carpenter
Tracy Packiam Alloway*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Rachel K. Carpenter
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Tracy Packiam Alloway, Email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Over 2.4 million children in the public school system are diagnosed with a learning disability, including dyslexia and developmental dyscalculia. Previous research has shown that some teachers are unaware of the importance of working memory in a student’s academic and social realm and what working memory deficits may look like in the classroom. The relationship between learning disabilities, working memory, and behaviour problems were examined with tailored recommendations for improvement to provide insight for classroom educators. Three children from the United Kingdom, all of whom were 8 years old and presented with symptoms of learning disorders and low working memory profiles, were selected for case studies. Measures of working memory, behaviour, and academic attainment were included. Results from their standardised assessments indicated that each child had below average working memory, as well as low scores in arithmetic, writing and spelling skills. Each child also exhibited some type of behavioural problem, such as inattention or hyperactivity. Implications of the impact of their working memory profile on their academic outcomes and behaviour are discussed. Recommendations, such as Response to Intervention (RTI), are included for classroom educators to bridge the gap between research and practice.

Keywords

learning disabilitylearning disorderclassroom behaviordyslexiadyscalculiaworking memory
Type
Articles
Information
The Educational and Developmental Psychologist , Volume 37 , Issue 1 , July 2020 , pp. 4 - 10
Copyright
© Australian Psychological Society Ltd 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Achilles, G.A., McLaughlin, M.J., & Croninger, R.G. (2007). Socicocultural correlates of disciplinary exclusion among students with emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities in the SEELS national dataset. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 15, 33–45.10.1177/10634266070150010401CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alloway, T.P. (2007). Automated Working Memory Assessment. London: Pearson Assessment.Google Scholar
Alloway, T.P. (Ed.). (2018). Working memory and clinical developmental disorders: Theories, debates and interventions. Routledge.10.4324/9781315302072CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alloway, T.P. & Alloway, R.G. (2014). Understanding working memory. London: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Alloway, T.P., & Alloway, R.G. (2010). Investigating the predictive roles of working memory and IQ in academic attainment. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 106, 20–29.10.1016/j.jecp.2009.11.003CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Alloway, T.P., Gathercole, S.E., Adams, A., & Willis, C. (2005) Working memory abilities in children with special educational needs. Educational and Child Psychology, 22, 56–67.Google Scholar
Alloway, T.P., Gathercole, S.E., Kirkwood, H., & Elliott, J. (2009). The cognitive and behavioral characteristics of children with low working memory. Child Development, 80, 606–621.10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01282.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Alloway, T.P., Doherty-Sneddon, G., & Forbes, L. (2012). Teachers’ perceptions of classroom behavior and working memory. Education Research & Reviews, 7, 138–142.Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.Google Scholar
Baddeley, A., & Hitch, G. (1974). Working memory. In Bower, G.H. (Ed.), The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research and theory (pp. 47–89). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Bijou, S., & Jastak, S. (1941). Wide range achievement test: Reading, spelling, arithmetic from kindergarten to college. Oxford, England: Chas. L. Story.Google Scholar
Boetsch, E.A., Green, P.A., & Pennington, B.F. (1996). Psychosocial correlates of dyslexia across the life span. Development and Psychopathology, 8, 539–562.10.1017/S0954579400007264CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burgess, S., Crawford, C., & Macmillan, L. (2017). Assessing the role of grammar schools in promoting social mobility. London: Institute of Education, University College London.Google Scholar
Burns, E., Poikkeus, A.M., & Aro, M. (2013). Resilience strategies employed by teachers with dyslexia working at tertiary education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 34, 77–85.10.1016/j.tate.2013.04.007CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burton, S. (2004). Self-esteem groups for secondary pupils with dyslexia. Educational Psychology in Practice, 20, 55–73.10.1080/0266736042000180410CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caine, A., & Hatton, C. (1998). Working with people with mental health problems. In Emerson, E., Hatton, C., Bromley, J., & Caine, A. (Eds.), Clinical psychology and people with intellectual disabilities (pp. 210–230). Chichester, UK: John Wiley and Sons.Google Scholar
Conners, K. (2005). Conners’ Teacher Rating Scale–Revised (S). New York: Multi-Health Systems.Google Scholar
Cortiella, C., & Horowitz, S.H. (2014). The state of learning disabilities: Facts, trends and emerging issues. New York: National Center for Learning Disabilities.Google Scholar
Dahle, A.E., Knivsberg, A., & Andreassen, A.B. (2011). Coexisting problem behaviour in severe dyslexia. Journal Of Research In Special Educational Needs, 11, 162–170.10.1111/j.1471-3802.2010.01190.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dehn, M.J. (2011). Working memory and academic learning: Assessment and intervention. John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Department for Education. (2018). Student guide. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-educationGoogle Scholar
Dunn, J.A. (1967). Validity coefficients of the new Harris-Goodenough Draw-A-Man Test. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 24, 299–301.10.2466/pms.1967.24.1.299CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eyles, A., & Machin, S. (2019). The introduction of academy schools to England’s education. Journal of European Economic Association, 17, 1107–1146.10.1093/jeea/jvy021CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Friedmann, N., & Coltheart, M. (2018). Types of developmental dyslexia. In Bar-On, A., & Ravid, D. (Eds.), Handbook of communication disorders: Theoretical, empirical, and applied linguistic perspectives (pp. 721–751). Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.10.1515/9781614514909-036CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gathercole, S.E., & Alloway, T.P. (2008). Working memory and learning: A practical guide. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Gathercole, S.E., Alloway, T.P., Willis, C.S., & Adams, A.M. (2006). Working memory in children with reading disabilities. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 93, 265–281.10.1016/j.jecp.2005.08.003CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
González, G.F., Žarić, G., Tijms, J., Bonte, M., Blomert, L., & van der Molen, M.W. (2015). A randomized controlled trial on the beneficial effects of training letter-speech sound integration on reading fluency in children with dyslexia. PLoS One, 10, e0143914.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodenough, F.L. (1926). Measurement of intelligence by drawings. Yonkers-on-Hudson, NY: World Book Company.Google Scholar
Heiervang, E., Stevenson, J., Lund, A., & Hugdahl, K. (2001). Behaviour problems in children with dyslexia. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 55, 251–256.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Humphrey, N., & Mullins, P.M. (2002). Self‐concept and self‐esteem in developmental dyslexia. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 2, 56–62.10.1111/j.1471-3802.2002.00163.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jeffries, S., & Everatt, J. (2004). Working memory: Its role in dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties. Dyslexia, 10, 196–214.10.1002/dys.278CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kamijo, K., Pontifex, M.B., O’Leary, K.C., Scudder, M.R., Wu, C.T., Castelli, D.M., & Hillman, C.H. (2011). The effects of an afterschool physical activity program on working memory in preadolescent children. Developmental Science, 14, 1046–1058.10.1111/j.1467-7687.2011.01054.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klingberg, T., Fernell, E., Olesen, P.J., Johnson, M., Gustafsson, P., Dalström, K., … Westerberg, H. (2005). Computerized training of working memory in children with ADHD—A randomized, controlled trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 44, 177–186.10.1097/00004583-200502000-00010CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knight, C. (2017). What is dyslexia? An exploration of the relationship between teachers’ understandings of dyslexia and their training experiences. Dyslexia 2, 1–13.Google Scholar
Kuhn, J. (2015). Developmental dyscalculia: Neurobiological, cognitive, and developmental perspectives. Zeitschrift Für Psychologie, 223, 69–82.10.1027/2151-2604/a000205CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuppen, S.A., & Goswami, U. (2016). Developmental trajectories for children with dyslexia and low IQ poor readers. Developmental Psychology, 52, 717–734.10.1037/a0040207CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Landerl, K., Bevan, A., & Butterworth, B. (2004). Developmental dyscalculia and basic numerical capacities: A study of 8–9-year-old students. Cognition, 93, 99–125.10.1016/j.cognition.2003.11.004CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Layes, S., Lalonde, R., & Rebaï, M. (2015). Reading speed and phonological awareness deficits among Arabic‐speaking children with dyslexia. Dyslexia: An International Journal Of Research And Practice, 21, 80–95.10.1002/dys.1491CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maehler, C., & Schuchardt, K. (2016). The importance of working memory for school achievement in primary school children with intellectual or learning disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 58, 1–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martinussen, R., & Tannock, R. (2006). Working memory impairments in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder with and without comorbid language learning disorders. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 28, 1073–109410.1080/13803390500205700CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Menghini, D., Finzi, A., Carlesimo, G.A., & Vicari, S. (2011). Working memory impairment in children with developmental dyslexia: Is it just a phonological deficit? Developmental Neuropsychology, 36, 199–213.10.1080/87565641.2010.549868CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moll, K., Kunze, S., Neuhoff, N., Bruder, J., & Schulte-Körne, G. (2014). Specific learning disorder: Prevalence and gender differences. PLoS One, 9, e103537.Google Scholar
Nalavany, B.A., Carawan, L.W., & Sauber, S. (2015). Adults with dyslexia, an invisible disability: The mediational role of concealment on perceived family support and self-esteem. British Journal of Social Work, 45, 568–586.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Panesi, S., & Morra, S. (2016). Drawing a dog: The role of working memory and executive function. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 152, 1–11.10.1016/j.jecp.2016.06.015CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pickering, S.J. (2006). Working memory in dyslexia. In Alloway, T.P. & Gathercole, S.E. (Eds.), Working memory and neurodevelopmental condition (pp. 7–40). Hove, UK: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Rittschof, K.A. (2010). Field dependence–independence as visuospatial and executive functioning in working memory: Implications for instructional systems design and research. Educational Technology Research and Development, 58, 99–114.10.1007/s11423-008-9093-6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosenberg, M., Schooler, C., Schoenbach, C., & Rosenberg, F. (1995). Global self-esteem and specific self-esteem: Different concepts, different outcomes. American Sociological Review, 60, 141–56.10.2307/2096350CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rowe, A., Titterington, J., Holmes, J., Henry, L., & Taggart, L. (2019). Interventions targeting working memory in 4–11 year olds within their everyday contexts: A systematic review. Developmental Review, 52, 1–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russell, G., Ryder, D., Norwich, B., & Ford, T. (2015). Behavioural difficulties that co‐occur with specific word reading difficulties: A UK population‐based cohort study. Dyslexia: An International Journal of Research and Practice, 21, 123–141.10.1002/dys.1496CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Selenius, H., Hellström, Å., & Belfrage, H. (2011). Aggression and risk of future violence in forensic psychiatric patients with and without dyslexia. Dyslexia: An International Journal of Research and Practice, 17, 201–206.10.1002/dys.425CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Snowling, M.J. (2010). Dyslexia. In Cooper, C.L., Field, J., Goswami, U., Jenkins, R., & Sahakian, B.J. (Eds.), Mental capital and mental wellbeing (pp. 775–783). Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Whelan, A., Haywood, P., & Galloway, S. (2007). Low self‐esteem: Group cognitive behaviour therapy. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 35, 125–130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, T.O., Fall, A., Eaves, R.C., & Groves, S.W. (2006). The reliability of scores for the Draw-A-Person Intellectual Ability Test for children, adolescents, and adults. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 24, 137–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whelan, A., Haywood, P., & Galloway, S. (2007). Low self-esteem: Group cognitive behaviour therapy. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 35, 125–130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar