A multiple case study of verbal short-term memory in velo-cardio-facial syndrome.
Kids with VCFS may sound fluent yet still lose track of word order, so probe serial memory before you set long utterance goals.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team looked at five kids with velo-cardio-facial syndrome. Each child took the same short list of spoken words three times.
They tested two things: could the child repeat the words, and could the child say them in the right order.
What they found
All five kids could name the words as well as typical peers. Yet four of them mixed up the order almost every time.
Good item memory plus poor order memory shows a clear split inside verbal short-term memory.
How this fits with other research
Bathelt et al. (2019) reviewed aided AAC for people with complex needs. Their paper covers VCFS, so the new memory data plug straight into AAC planning.
Ghaziuddin et al. (1996) and McGonigle et al. (2014) proved that non-verbal clients with severe delays can learn voice-output requests. S et al. now warn that even clients who "know the words" may still struggle to keep long messages in the right order.
Together the studies say: give AAC, but also check serial-order memory so you do not overload the user with long phrases.
Why it matters
If you serve a client with VCFS, test order memory before you write goals. Short, fixed phrases on a device may work better than long open sentences. Start with two-step requests and build only after order recall is solid.
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Add a quick digit-span forward and backward probe to your intake; if order scores lag, shorten AAC phrases to two items first.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Velo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS, 22q11.2 deletion) is characterized by severely delayed language development. The current study explored the integrity of verbal short-term memory (STM), a cognitive function critically involved in language development, in eight children with VCFS. METHODS: Using a multiple case study design, we presented a series of STM tasks exploring immediate serial recall for word and non-word lists to eight children with VCFS (aged 8-12 years) and to chronological-age-matched control groups. A first task assessed the integrity of phonological coding in verbal STM by comparing recall for phonologically similar and dissimilar words. Subsequently, the interaction between verbal knowledge and STM capacity was investigated by comparing recall for high- and low-imageability words, for high- and low-frequency words, and for words and non-words. A final task assessed short-term serial order recognition for digit sequences. RESULTS: When computing the number of items recalled in the word recall tasks, independently of their serial position, only one child presented consistent difficulties. Short-term recall of non-words was normal in each child. Phonological similarity and verbal knowledge influenced STM performance to a similar extent in children with VCFS and controls. On the other hand, when applying a strict serial recall criterion, difficulties with the word and non-word recall tasks were observed in most children. Half of the patients were also impaired in the serial order recognition task. CONCLUSIONS: Despite mild intellectual disability, it is possible for short-term retention capacities for verbal item information to be at an age-appropriate level in VCFS. However, STM for serial order information could be impaired more specifically.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2006 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2006.00791.x