ERIC Number: EJ788624
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 12
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0891-4222
EISSN: N/A
The Effect of Rehearsal Training on Working Memory Span of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Loomes, Carly; Rasmussen, Carmen; Pei, Jacqueline; Manji, Shazeen; Andrew, Gail
Research in Developmental Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal, v29 n2 p113-124 Mar-Apr 2008
A key area of weakness in individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is working memory, thus the goal of this study was to determine whether teaching children (aged 4-11) with FASD verbal rehearsal would increase their memory. Rehearsal training has been effective in other populations with working memory difficulties, so we hypothesized that children with FASD would also benefit from rehearsal training. Children were divided into an Experimental group, who received rehearsal training and a Control group, who did not receive training. All children were tested on digit span tasks over three sessions: a pretest (baseline) and then post-test 1 and post-test 2 (where only the Experimental group received rehearsal training). The Experimental group showed a significant increase in performance across session but the Control group did not. Children in the Experimental group performed significantly higher than the Control group on post-test 2 but not on the pretest or post-test 1. More children in the Experimental group showed behavioral evidence and self-report of rehearsal after training. Rehearsal training was successful at increasing the memory for numbers among children with FASD and may help to ameliorate working memory difficulties in FASD, ultimately supporting academic and developmental growth of children with FASD.
Descriptors: Experimental Groups, Control Groups, Pretests Posttests, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Memory, Instructional Effectiveness, Verbal Stimuli, Numbers
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A