Memory profiles in children with mild intellectual disabilities: strengths and weaknesses

Abstract

Strengths and weaknesses in short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) were identified in children with mild intellectual disabilities (MID) by comparing their performance to typically developing children matched on chronological age (CA children) and to younger typically developing children with similar mental capacities (MA children). Children with MID performed less well on all measures compared to the CA children. Relative to the MA children, especially verbal WM was weak. Subsequent analyses yielded distinct MID subgroups each with specific memory strengths and weaknesses. These findings hold implications for the demands imposed on children with MID in education and daily life.