[Neuropsychological findings on memory and learning disabilities in children using the BASIC-MLT].

OBJECTIVES

Unrecognized memory and learning disabilities can affect children's general development and limit therapy success. Differentiated assessment of specificities and severity of the disorder is thus essential for specific interventions. This study makes a case for development-related divergences in coping with modality-specific memory and learning tasks. Divergences have been assumed for auditory tasks.

METHODS

Subtest achievements of 403 children in the memory and learning test battery BASIC-MLT were examined by analysis of variance for the factor age (11 age groups from 6-16 years).

RESULTS

Results show significant effects for the auditory subtests "Sound series" and "Word learning delay"; respective pairwise comparisons reveal that achievements of 10-year-olds and 12-year-olds deviate from those of most other age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

These results support the assumption that changes can be shown especially for auditory memory and learning and do correspond with findings on a comparatively later maturation of phonological memory and preference of picture-based strategies in children up to ten years old. Recent studies suggest an increasing activation of left temporal structures up to adulthood, which goes along with reinforced use of verbal strategies.