Working Memory Training in Youth With Autism, Fragile X, and Intellectual Disability: A Pilot Study.
Computerized working-memory training lifts memory and real-world skills in youth with autism and ID, with milder gains when fragile X is present.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Gandhi et al. (2022) ran a six-week computerized working-memory program with youth who have autism and intellectual disability.
Some kids also had fragile X syndrome. The team tested memory and everyday thinking skills before and after training.
What they found
Most children improved on memory games and on far-transfer tasks like following directions.
The autism-only group gained a bit more than the autism-plus-fragile X group.
How this fits with other research
Wang et al. (2025) pooled 15 similar studies and saw the same pattern: computerized drills lift social thinking, attention, and executive skills in kids with ASD.
Tassé et al. (2013) showed the idea first — children with Down syndrome kept visuospatial gains months after the same kind of training.
Chabani et al. (2014) looks like a contradiction. Their brief visuospatial lessons helped only a little, but they used short sessions and higher-IQ kids. Longer, game-like programs such as A’s may be needed for youth with ID.
Why it matters
You now have a low-cost tool that can sharpen memory and daily skills for clients with ASD and ID. Start with a six-week block, track progress weekly, and expect smaller steps if fragile X is also in the mix.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add a 15-minute computerized memory game to the daily schedule and graph one far-transfer skill like following multi-step instructions.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
This pilot study sought to identify potential markers of improvement from pre-post treatment in response to computerized working memory (WM) training for youth (ages 8-18) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and comorbid intellectual disability (ID) in a single arm, pre-post design. Participants included 26 children with ASD and 18 with comorbid ASD and fragile X syndrome (ASD+FXS). Analyses were adjusted for age and IQ. The ASD group demonstrated greater improvement on WM training relative to the ASD+FXS group. Participants improved on WM and far transfer outcomes, however, there were no significant group differences in improvement except for repetitive behavior. Higher hyperactivity/impulsivity ratings predicted lower performance on visuospatial WM. Findings suggest cognitive training may be beneficial for youth with ASD and ID, warranting further exploration.
American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2022 · doi:10.1177/0022219409331958