Working memory in school-age children with and without a persistent speech sound disorder

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Persistent speech sound disorders (P-SSD) affect a significant number of children.
• The cognitive underpinnings of P-SSD require further investigation.
• Working memory is a crucial cognitive function for language development and learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of working memory processes in persistent speech sound disorders.
• To examine specific components of working memory (phonological loop, visual spatial sketchpad, central executive) in children with P-SSD.
• To determine the relationship between working memory, nonverbal intelligence, and P-SSD.

Main Methods:

• Forty school-aged children participated: 20 with P-SSD and 20 typically developing controls.
• Participants completed three working memory tasks assessing the phonological loop, visual spatial sketchpad, and central executive.
• Mediation analyses were employed to explore the relationship between working memory, nonverbal intelligence, and P-SSD.

Main Results:

• Children with P-SSD performed significantly poorer on phonological loop tasks compared to typically developing peers.
• No significant differences were found in visual spatial sketchpad or central executive tasks.
• Mediation analyses indicated that the association between working memory and P-SSD was dependent on nonverbal intelligence.

Conclusions:

• Poor working memory, specifically within the phonological loop, is associated with persistent speech sound disorders.
• Co-occurring low-average nonverbal intelligence may contribute to working memory deficits in children with P-SSD.
• Findings highlight the importance of considering cognitive factors, including nonverbal intelligence, in the assessment and intervention for P-SSD.