Domain-specific treatment effects in children with language and/or working memory impairments: A pilot study

Abstract

This pilot study with an n-of-1 design examined whether children with a specific language impairment without working memory impairment (SLI), a specific working memory impairment without language impairment (SWMI), or mixed language and working memory impairments (L&WMI) may respond differently to treatment targeting verbal or visuospatial strategies. Nine 7- to 9-year-old children (3 SLI, 2 SWMI, 4 L&WMI) completed two 4-week intervention periods focused either on verbal or visuospatial strategies. Three probe tasks were measured throughout all study phases: picture recall, sentence formulation, and geometric puzzle completion. Standardized measures of language and working memory were completed before and after each treatment phase, and 4 months post. Results revealed a domain-specific treatment effect. The verbally-focused treatment resulted in improved performance on the picture recall task whereas the visuospatial focus was associated with positive outcomes on the geometric puzzle probe. Additionally, children with working memory impairment improved on working memory measures while most children with language impairment improved on a grammatical measure.