title: Forward and backward digit span difficulties in children with specific learning disorder.
abstract: This study examined performance in the forward and backward digit span task of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) in a large group of children with specific learning disorder (SLD) as compared with a group of typically developing children matched for age and sex. Our results further support the hypothesis that the intellectual difficulties of children with SLD involve working memory in the forward digit span task to a greater extent than in the backward digit span task. The correlation of the two spans with a General Ability Index (GAI) was similar in SLD, and smaller in magnitude than in typically developing children. Despite a GAI within normal range, children with SLD had difficulty with both digit span tasks, but more so for forward span. This pattern was similar for different SLD profiles with clinical diagnoses of dyslexia and mixed disorder, but the impairments were more severe in the latter. Age differences were also investigated, demonstrating larger span impairment in older children with SLD than in younger.
authors.affiliation: a Department of General Psychology , University of Padova , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giofrè
authors.affiliation: b Ausl of Ferrara , Ferrara , Italy.
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stoppa
authors.affiliation: b Ausl of Ferrara , Ferrara , Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferioli
authors.affiliation: c Department of Clinical Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pezzuti
authors.affiliation: a Department of General Psychology , University of Padova , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cornoldi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D000067559:Specific Learning Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014888:Wechsler Scales
keywords: Digit span; children with specific learning disorder; general ability index; wechsler intelligence scale for children–fourth edition; working memory