Children with developmental reading disabilities (RD) frequently display impaired working memory functioning. However, research has been divergent regarding the characteristics of the deficit. Our investigation addressed this controversy by assessing Baddeley's working memory model as a whole rather than focusing on particular aspects of it, as has been done by much of the research to date. Participants included 20 children with RD and 20 typical readers between the ages of 9 and 13. The phonological loop, visual-spatial sketchpad, and central executive were assessed according to Baddeley's model. The results demonstrated that children with RD have an impaired phonological loop but intact visual-spatial sketchpad and central executive functioning as compared to controls. In terms of the phonological loop, the deficit appears to be specific to the phonological store. Furthermore, our research supports a relationship between phonological processing and phonological loop functioning.
Compared 19 siblings of severely autistic children with 20 siblings of children with Down syndrome and 20 siblings of developmentally normal children. Results reveal that siblings of autistic children have more internalizing and externalizing behavior problems than siblings of developmentally normal children; however, the three groups did not differ significantly on measures of perceived self-competence or parents' report of social competence. Examination of demographic variables indicate that age of sibling and parents' marital satisfaction were associated with siblings' psychological functioning. Implications for future research are discussed.
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