Utilization deficiencies among children with learning disabilities

Abstract

Learning Disabled (LD) and Average children in grades 3, 4, and 5 were tested on a sort/recall task consisting of 5 trials of categorizable words using different categories and different words on each trial. Strategy use was measured separately at encoding and at recall. Average children recalled more than did LD children, even when strategy use was equated, an event which was interpreted as a utilization deficiency. A pattern of increasing disparity between LD and average children with age, due to lack of progress by older LD children, was reported and explained in terms of Stanovich's (1986) Matthew effect. Average children seemed to benefit most from clustering at recall, while older LD children may have benefitted more by strategic behaviors at encoding. A discriminant analysis indicated that LD and Average children differ not only by learning ability but that the basis of their strategic behavior and memory performance may also change with age.