Svak skår på deltesten Tallhukommelse i WISC-V – en indikasjon på språklige vansker?

Abstract

Background: WISC-V is the first Wechsler intelligence test that measures both the visual working memory and the auditory working memory. Both tests contribute to a combined Working Memory Index, but much of the research suggests that sensory modality plays an important role. Children with impaired phonological capacity and resulting reading, writing or language difficulties, often struggle with Digit Span without necessarily having problems with Picture Span. Psychologists are often more concerned with possible attention deficits than modality-specific problems, and may suspect ADHD in cases of impaired Digit Span. Method: In the project, 62 test protocols from children in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit at Vestfold Hospital Trust were analysed. They were assessed using Digit Span and Picture Span, and Conners CPT 3 was used to test attention deficit, in addition to the Norwegian test Språk 6-16 and Children’s Communication Checklist-2 to measure possible language-related problems. Results: Beyond shared variance between Digit Span and Picture Span, regression analyses showed that Digit Span was associated with language-related problems and not attention deficit problems, while Picture Span was associated with attention deficit. Implications: The clinical recommendation is to not interpret Digit Span or the Working Memory Index in isolation before considering modality differences. Impaired Digit Span should prompt clinicians to consider language-related problems, while impaired Picture Span may raise suspicion of more general attention deficits. Keywords: WISC-V, Digit Span, Working Memory, ADHD, language-related problems