Comparison of working memory and sensory profile in boys and girls with writing disability

Background and aims: Children with learning disabilities mainly have problems in cognition and sensations. Therefore, this study aimed tocompare working memory and sensory profile in boys and girls with writing disability.Methods: To this end, this descriptive study applied a comparative method to collect the required data. Statistical population of the studyincluded all girls and boys within the age range of ۸-۱۰, who were suffering from writing disability during their treatment in a writingdisability center in Gorgan during the summer of ۲۰۱۸. In addition, a stratified random sampling method was used and ۵۰ boys and ۵۸girls were selected from each group accordingly. Based on the research tools, the Dunn profile (۱۹۹۹) was obtained from the parents of thechildren. In the area of Daneman and Carpenter working memory (۱۹۸۰), children were directly questioned in order to obtain informationrelated to processing and storage in their memory. Finally, data were analyzed by SPSS software using multivariate analysis of varianceanalysis.Results: Based on descriptive findings (i.e., mean and standard deviation), the following data were obtained regarding the intendedparameters in boys and girls as processing (۵۰.۳۲±۶.۹۳, ۵۴.۲۲±۷.۴۵), storage (۴۸.۴۷±۶.۰۸, ۵۳.۱۷±۶.۰۷), indoctrination associated withthe physical state of body motion (۳۴.۲۸±۷.۰۹, ۳۶.۹۱±۶.۴۸), multisensory processing (۳۴.۶۸±۵.۲۱, ۳۷.۹۴±۶.۵۷), and auditory processing(۳۱.۷۴±۵.۸۴, ۳۵.۵۲±۶.۵۹), respectively. In addition, the results indicated a significant difference in the writing disability among theprocessing (P < ۰.۰۰۶) and storage (P < ۰.۰۰۰) of working memory subscales and indoctrination associated with the physical state of thebody motion (P < ۰.۰۰۰), multisensory processing (P < ۰.۰۰۰), and auditory processing (P < ۰.۰۰۲) of the sensory profile in both girls andboys with writing disabilities.Conclusion: In general, the boys had a worse condition concerning their working memory and sensory processing styles that requirespecial attention and more focused educational approaches.

Keywords:

Writing disability , Working memory , Sensory profile