Immediate Memory Functions of Verbally Deficient Reading-Disabled Children

Two groups of children (ages 8 and 12) with reading disabilities and verbal deficits were given a memory-for-colors task designed to evaluate intra- and intermodal serial memory functioning. The memory span of these children was compared to that of a group of age-matched normal controls. Eight-year-old verbally deficient reading-disabled children displayed intramodal (verbal-verbal) as well as intermodal (visual-verbal, verbal-visual) serial memory deficits. Twelve-year-old reading-disabled children displayed only verbal intramodal (verbal-verbal) deficits. The results suggest developmental differences in the relative influence of specific modalities in the immediate memory functions of these children, but emphasize the role of intramodal verbal factors across ages.