| Research has repeatedly shown that learning is impacted by memory deficits. Currently, "memory learning disability," a term introduced in the present study, has not been one of the categories considered for determination of a learning disability in school settings. This study investigated ways in which memory testing might contribute to the ability of students with learning difficulties to obtain special education services. The specific purpose of the study was to determine if a group of students with known learning problems existed in the absence of any diagnosed learning disabilities (as documented by neuropsychological tests), who performed significantly worse on memory tasks as compared to controls. Two related hypotheses were tested, the first using a T-test with two groups of school-aged children [i.e., Group 1 ( n = 108) and Group 2 (n = 110)], and the second using an analysis of variance with four groups of school-aged children [i.e., Group A (n = 56), Group B (n = 43), Group C (n = 27), and Group D (n = 66)]. These groups were selected post hoc from a database of archived neuropsychological test data. Specifically, the results indicated through a T-test in hypothesis 1 that clinically referred children who were diagnosed with a learning disorder performed significantly worse across some memory tests than did clinically referred children who were not diagnosed with a learning disorder. In hypothesis 2, it was shown through an analysis of variance that clinically referred children with an acute verbal anterograde memory deficit based on the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (Sheslow & Adams, 1990) but no diagnosed learning disorders performed significantly worse on a memory task as compared to clinically referred children without a learning disorder and no concurrent, acute verbal anterograde memory deficit based on the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (Sheslow & Adams, 1990). The implications of adding the memory learning disability category for special education services were also discussed. |
