Working Memory in Specific Language Impairment

Abstract

Aim: To study the relation between working memory deficits and development of language in patients with Phonological programming Specific Language Impairment (SLI), Lexical syntactic SLI and Phonological syntactic SLI.Patients and Methods: This study is a retrospective study conducted on a series of Specific Language Impairment children (n=94). Inclusion criteria: children age range between 2.5- 6.5 years, native Arabic speakers with history of speech and language delays and nonverbal IQ ≥ 85. Exclusion criteria: children with mental retardation, hearing impairment and any psychiatric disorders such as autism. Investigating working memory in SLI children was done and comparing the results with a control group (n=33).Results: There was statistically significance difference between different types of SLI and the control group in verbal working memory (P value< 0.001).Conclusion: Verbal working memory abilities and language development are associated especially to Lexical syntactic SLI, Phonological syntactic SLI rather than to Phonological programming SLI.