title: Rethinking the connection between working memory and language impairment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Working memory deficits have been found for children with specific language impairment (SLI) on tasks imposing increasing short-term memory load with or without additional, consistent (and simple) processing load.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the processing function of working memory in children with low language (LL) by employing tasks imposing increasing processing loads with constant storage demands individually adjusted based on each participant's short-term memory capacity.
  
  
  METHODS
  School-age groups with LL (n = 17) and typical language with either average (n = 28) or above-average nonverbal intelligence (n = 15) completed complex working memory-span tasks varying processing load while keeping storage demands constant, varying storage demands while keeping processing load constant, simple storage-span tasks, and measures of language and nonverbal intelligence. Teachers completed questionnaires about cognition and learning.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly lower scores were found for the LL than either matched group on storage-based tasks, but no group differences were found on the tasks varying processing load. Teachers' ratings of oral expression and mathematics abilities discriminated those who did or did not complete the most challenging cognitive tasks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results implicate a deficit in the phonological storage but not in the central executive component of working memory for children with LL. Teacher ratings may reveal personality traits related to perseverance of effort in cognitive research.
authors.affiliation: School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Lisa M D
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Archibald
authors.affiliation: School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harder Griebeling
mesh_terms: D001076:Aptitude; D001288:Attention; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D007808:Language Therapy / Q000379:methods; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D011932:Reading; D012153:Retention, Psychology
keywords: short-term memory; specific language impairment; working memory