Predictors of verbal working memory in children with cerebral palsy.

Peeters et al. (2009) looked at what shapes verbal working memory in kids with cerebral palsy. They tested IQ, hearing, and speech skills in one visit. The goal was to see which factors best predict how well these children hold and use spoken information.

Low IQ plus poor speech output forecast weak verbal working memory. Good hearing helped a little, but brain power and clear speech mattered most. The team says screen these areas early to spot kids who will need extra classroom support.

van Rooijen et al. (2012) widened the lens to math and found something different: fine-motor skill and word decoding, not IQ, drove arithmetic success in the same CP group. The two papers sit side-by-side—IQ predicts memory, while hand skill and reading predict math.

Critten et al. (2019) moved on to literacy. They showed that weak phonological and visual-sequential memory spelled reading trouble even when language looked normal. Together the trio maps CP learning risks across memory, math, and reading.

Levy (2011) seems to clash by saying IQ mediates every reading skill in Down syndrome. In CP, IQ matters for memory but not for math (Maaike et al.). The gap is about task, not truth: memory tasks lean on raw brain power, while reading and math lean on specific skills.

If you work with school-age kids who have CP, check IQ and speech clarity first. Low scores flag weak verbal working memory and warn you that long verbal instructions will fade fast. Pair those results with a quick fine-motor and decoding probe (see Maaike et al.) to see if math and reading are also at risk. Use the profile to shorten spoken directions, add visual cues, and pick memory aids that match the child’s strongest input channel.