Grouping, semantic relation and imagery effects in individuals with Down syndrome.
Pair pictures with related, grouped words to give learners with Down syndrome a small but real memory boost.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Winburn et al. (2014) tested three tricks that might help kids with Down syndrome hold words in short-term memory.
They compared grouping words into chunks, using related words like apple-pear-banana, and showing pictures while saying the words.
Kids with Down syndrome and typically developing peers tried each trick in a quiet room.
What they found
All three tricks helped the Down syndrome group remember more words, but the boost was smaller than for typical kids.
Mixing pictures with spoken words gave the biggest gain, yet it still did not close the gap.
The authors say memory supports work, yet they work less well in Down syndrome.
How this fits with other research
Robinson et al. (2011) meta-analysis says Down syndrome brings broad verbal short-term memory deficits; this study shows you can still squeeze out extra words with the right cues.
Saville et al. (2002) found shorter words are easier for Down syndrome learners; Elizabeth adds that grouping and meaning matter too.
Kleinert et al. (2007) saw spatial memory stay fairly strong in Down syndrome; Elizabeth shifts focus to verbal tricks, giving you a fuller toolkit.
Why it matters
You can’t erase the memory gap, but you can lighten the load. When you teach new vocabulary or instructions, cluster related words, show a picture, and group items into threes. These quick tweaks cost nothing and may save re-teaching time next session.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is associated with a specific verbal short-term memory (STM) deficit. This study explored the effects of grouping, semantic relations and visual presentation upon verbal STM recall performance in a group of 15 individuals with DS and 15 vocabulary-matched typically developing (TD) children. Participants were presented with memoranda in either a temporally grouped schedule, such that items were grouped as pairs, or in an equally spaced presentation schedule. The two items constituting each pair were either semantically related or unrelated. Performance across these conditions was compared in verbal or verbal plus visual presentation modes. Significant memory recall benefits were observed across populations as a result of temporal grouping, semantic relations and verbal and visual combined presentation. However, a reduced benefit of semantic relation in the DS group compared to the TD group indicated that those with DS were less influenced by LTM relational knowledge. In addition, those with DS only experienced a grouping benefit during verbal and visual combined presentation, in contrast to the TD group who experienced grouping benefits throughout. This indicates that individuals with DS are poorer at encoding temporal context for purely verbal memoranda. These findings were replicated in a follow-up experiment, aimed at aligning baseline performance in the two populations. This study provides encouraging evidence that, despite their difficulties in some areas, individuals with DS can benefit from the use of grouping and LTM knowledge to assist their verbal STM performance under certain circumstances.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2014 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2014.07.061