Memória operacional e alfabetização de crianças e adolescentes em risco de transtornos do neurodesenvolvimento

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the working memory and literacy of children and adolescents at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. The working memory subtests of the Wechsler Children's Intelligence Scale and pedagocical assessments of literacy performace were extracted from clinical records. 43 people between 6 and 16 years old participated (M=11.39 years old; SD=2.18). The partial credit method of the item response model indicated that letter recognition was the skill most easily performed by the participants, with average difficulties in recognizing syllables, reading words, establishing grapheme/phoneme relationships, and reading sentences, in that order. The percentage of participants who do not perform reading is high (>38%). Multiple linear regression did not indicate a relationship between the Working Memory index (M=78; Md=78; SD=2.45;); digits (M=6; Md=5; SD=0.41) and arithmetic (M=6; Md=6; SD=0.41) subtests with literacy skills, and age effects. The better performance in recognizing letters, compared to other skills, indicates a good prognosis for the acquisition of written language, despite the general deficits. Low working memory capacity suggests criteria for neurodevelopmental disorders. The data signal an urgent need for a detailed assessment of cognitive deficits and potentials, in order to support interventions for neuropsychological qualification and school learning.