Memory training at school helps children with Down syndrome

Computer memory games in schools could be key in improving the short-term memory and attention span of children with Down syndrome.

The preliminary study, by researchers at the University of Portsmouth and Down Syndrome Education International, found that memory training on computers in schools improved the visual short term memory of over half a group of 21 children with Down syndrome. It also found this improvement was sustained four months after the training had stopped.

People with Down syndrome tend to have a limited short term memory, which mean they struggle to store and manipulate information over short periods of time. This can impact on many areas of learning, including learning words, grammar and reading.

Past studies have shown that memory in people with Down syndrome can be improved through training, but these improvements are not usually long-term.

The preliminary study was conducted with a small sample, but could prompt further research in the area. Lead researcher, Dr Stephanie Bennett of the University of Portsmouth, said: “We are really excited about the findings.

“We were unsure whether it would be feasible to deliver this kind of training in a school setting, but now we know that it is, researchers can go forward and explore it further.”
“As is often the case in these kinds of studies, some children made lots of progress and other children less so, and so research that explores this finding in more detail is a further area we wish to look at.”

Dr Bennett said: “What is really positive about this initial study is that the children who took part really enjoyed it. The programme is set up to be really fun and rewarding.
“The children all worked really hard to complete the training activities, and each child’s dedicated teaching assistant was key to making this happen, as they provided excellent support and encouragement throughout the study.”

The study involved 21 children with Down syndrome aged between seven and 12 and took place in 19 different schools over 10 to 12 weeks.  The children used a computer program called Cogmed JM, designed for pre-school children, which includes seven different activities presented as games. They spent 15 to 30 minutes a day on the programme, three times a week.

The children completed up to 25 training sessions, each of which included three activities. Every few weeks a new activity was introduced and one activity removed to maintain interest.

The children were split into two groups. During the first part of the study, only the first group received the memory training. In the second part, the first group stopped their training and the second group were trained. All children’s memory skills were measured before and after training.

 In the first memory test, 60 per cent of the children in the first group showed an improvement in visual short term memory. In the test at the end of the second part of the study, the second group of children showed a similar improvement, but more significantly, the first group had sustained their improvement, even though four months had elapsed since they had been trained.

The study found no improvement in the children’s verbal memory skills, an area people with Down syndrome have specific difficulty in.

Dr Bennett led the study while she was a research psychologist at Down Syndrome Education International, working in collaboration with Dr Joni Holmes from the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge and Professor Sue Buckley, director of science and research at Down Syndrome Education International.

The study was funded by The Baily Thomas Charitable Fund and Down Syndrome Education International.

Cogmed JM software was provided free of charge for use in the trial by Pearson Education.

The study is published in the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.