Memory Assessment StrategiesFrom Dr. Milton J. Dehn ©2015 Schoolhouse Educational Services, LLC

Types of memory reported to be significantly affected by risk factors*

Risk Factor Episodic Semantic Implicit Verbal Visuospatial Short-Term

Working Encoding Consolidation Storage Retrieval Recognition

Metamemory**

ADHD X X XAutism X X X XChildhood Diabetes

X X X X

Childhood Stroke X X X X XCongenital Hypothyroidism

X X X

Depression X X X X X X X XDevelopmentalAmnesia

X X X

Down Syndrome X X XEffects of Asthma Medication

X X

Epilepsy X X X X X XExcess Bilirubin Levels

X

Frontal Lobe Lesions

X X X

Encephalitis

Learning Disabilities

X X X X X X X X X

Medulloblastoma X X X X XObsessive-Compulsive Disorder

X X X X X X

Pediatric Bipolar Disorder

X X X X X

Perinatal Asphyxia

X X X

Post-Concussion Syndrome

X

Prematurity XPrenatal Alcohol Exposure

X X X X X X

Prenatal Cocaine Exposure

X X X X X

PTSD, Abuse, Chronic Stress

X X X X X

Reye’s Syndrome X X X X X XSleep Disorders

Specific Language Impairment

X X X X X X X

Traumatic Brain Injury

X X X X X X X X X X

Williams Syndrome

X X X X X

Eating Disorders

Bariatric Surgery

Preeclampsia

Thyroid Disorders

Chemo Brain

**Includes strategy development and use.*Based on a review of empirical evidence. The absence of an “x” does not mean that type of memory may be unaffected. It may simply mean that there is insufficient research on the specific memory dysfunctions associated with a particular risk factor.

Rapid Reference 5.4 Teacher Interview Items

1. What kinds of learning activities are most difficult for the student?

2. Is the student stronger in visual or auditory learning?

3. Does it take the student exceptionally long to complete assignments?

4. How well does the student remember directions and information?

5. How often does the student ask you to repeat directions?

6. How often does the student ask peers for help?

7. How much repetition does the student require before learning new information?

8. Does the student have difficulties memorizing information?

9. Does the student have any difficulties with listening comprehension?

10. How well does the student stay focused on the task at hand?

11. How well can the student do two things simultaneously, such as listen and take notes?

12. Is the student slow to recall information that he or she knows?

13. Does the student have difficulty expressing ideas orally or in writing?

14. How well does the student retain information during multistep operations, such as when

completing a multistep arithmetic problem?

15. What memory strategies, if any, have you observed the student using?

16. To what do you attribute the student’s learning problems?

17. What signs have you observed that indicate the student might have problems with short-term

memory?

18. Do you believe short-term or working memory weaknesses could be the cause of the student’s

problems?

Rapid Reference 5.5 Student Interview Items

1. What do you think is the cause of the learning problems you are having?

2. Do you ever forget to do something? Can you give me an example? How often does this

happen?

3. How often do you forget what the teacher just said?

4. How often do you ask the teacher to repeat directions?

5. How often do raise your hand in class and then forget what you were going to say?

6. When you are writing, do you leave out letters or words without knowing that you did?

7. Is it hard for you to listen and take notes at the same time?

8. Do you have difficulty memorizing facts?

9. Do you sometimes lose your place when reading?

10. Is it hard for you to do arithmetic in your head?

11. What do you do when you want to keep track of information in your head?

12. Do you think memory problems might be the cause of your learning problems?

Rapid Reference 5.6 Metamemory Interview Items

1. Tell me what you know about how memory works?

2. What are some different kinds of memory that people have?

3. How long does short-term memory last?

4. How much do most people forget?

5. What do you think makes people forget things?

6. What kinds of things are easy for you to remember?

7. What makes it easy for you to remember these things?

8. What kinds of things are hard for you to remember?

9. What makes it hard for you to remember these things?

10. Do you believe it’s harder for you to remember things than it is for other people your age?

11. Do you have any control over how well you remember?

12. What do you do when you really want to remember something?

13. What do you do when you need to keep track of two things at the same time?

Rapid Reference 5.7 Memory Strategies Interview Items

1. Tell me what you do when you need to remember something that was just said, for at least a

short period of time.

2. How often do you repeat something you just heard over and over to yourself?

3. What do you do when you want to remember things you just saw?

4. Tell me about the methods you use when you try to memorize information.

5. Which of your memorization methods work best?

6. Do you ever try to group words or other information together to make it easier to remember?

7. Do you ever try to picture things in your mind so that you can remember them better?

8. What do you do when you need to focus on something and you are having distracting

thoughts?

9. Has anyone taught you methods for remembering things better? Is so, what?

Rapid Reference 5.11 Classroom Behaviors Indicative of Working Memory Problems

General Working Memory Has trouble remembering information for just a few seconds. In the middle of an activity, forgets how to continue or finish it. Has difficulty staying focused during cognitively demanding activities. Performance is worse during challenging activities. Prefers simple tasks over complex tasks. Takes a long time to complete assignments. Has difficulty retrieving information efficiently. Has difficulty relating new information with prior knowledge. Make comments about having memory problems. Has difficulty with mental arithmetic. Has difficulty memorizing and retaining facts. Is very slow at arithmetic computation. Seeks assistance from peers. Does not appear to use any memory strategies. Misses a lot of information during instruction.

Phonological Short-Term Memory Has difficulty repeating what was just said. Has difficulty remembering multistep oral directions. Has difficulty restating instructions. Has difficulty with phonemic awareness. Has difficulty learning new vocabulary. Speaks mostly in very short sentences. Does not appear to repeat information to self.

Visual-Spatial Short-Term Memory Has difficulty remembering what he or she just saw. Has difficulty learning colors, shapes, numerals, or letters. Confuses names of shapes and symbols. Is slow when copying. Has difficulty copying without making errors. Forgets where materials have just been placed. Has difficulty putting puzzles together. Does not seem to notice visual details.

Verbal Working Memory Requires frequent reminders of what needs to be done. When called on, forgets what was planning to say. Has difficulty understanding directions. Has difficulty with oral comprehension. Has difficulty with reading comprehension. Has difficulty organizing information when writing. Produces only short sentences during written expression. Has subject-verb agreement errors in written expression.

Does not notice written expression errors. Omits some of the content when writing a sentence. Repeats words when writing a sentence. Has difficulty blending phonemes into words when reading. Has difficulty with phonetic recoding (spelling). Has difficulty paraphrasing. Rarely contributes to class discussions.

Visual-Spatial Working Memory Doesn’t notice the signs, e.g. “+”, during arithmetic calculation. Loses place when reading, counting, or doing math. Gets confused when something is moved or rotated. Seems to have difficulty imaging things. Has difficulty describing a scene. Seems to miss or forget details when watching a video. Is slow at video games.

Executive Working Memory Has difficulty multitasking. Has difficulty coping with distractions. Has difficulty focusing attention. Has difficulty sustaining attention. Has difficulty dividing attention. Answers to questions are off-topic or irrelevant. Has difficulty switching back and forth during an activity. Has difficulty taking notes and listening at the same time. Does not seem to use learning or memory strategies. Prefers to use simple instead of complex learning strategies. Selects inefficient strategies during problem solving. Has difficulty with planning and organization. Has difficulty keeping up with ongoing presentation of information. Does not like games that require planning or a strategy.

Classroom Behaviors Indicative of Long-Term Memory Problems

Difficulty recalling and completing multistep procedures that have been practiced previously Difficulty completing tasks on time because the task or deadline was forgotten Difficulty finding personal possessions that the child put away Difficulty remembering the location of objects and possessions that are typically stored in the same location Telling fanciful stories that have only a semblance of truth Difficulty remembering rules of games that have been played previously Rapid forgetting of information that has been studied Displaying frustration during learning and memorization Difficulty organizing information on a semantic basis Difficulty comprehending the connection between new information and related prior knowledge Difficulty remembering school rules and other routine information, such as the daily schedule Frequently knowing material one day and not knowing it the next Difficulty recalling information that has been repeatedly studied and reviewed Difficulty automatically acquiring factual information about the world Falling further behind peers as the demands for retention of information increase Learning new material at the expense of losing prior learning Repeatedly making the same mistakes Knowing isolated facts but not being able to connect them with related concepts Difficulty remembering events from the day before Difficulty with delayed recall of directions, especially when no cues are available Copying the activities and responses of other students Difficulty learning new routines or procedures Not volunteering to respond to teacher questions about subject matter Becoming anxious and frustrated when no social or environmental retrieval cues are available Exhibiting high test anxiety Complaining of memory problems Recognizing the answers to questions much better than freely recalling them Difficulty remembering nursery rhymes and other cultural folklore that every child knows Difficulty remembering details in stories Difficulty remembering the sequence of events Difficulty remembering the source of information Difficulty telling jokes because part of the joke or the sequence is forgotten Difficulty remembering the names or appearance of people who are encountered on a regular basis Difficulty acquiring and remembering factual information that needs to be mastered, such as arithmetic facts Getting lost or having difficulty navigating in familiar surroundings Difficulty providing a reliable account of the day’s activities Frequently forgetting what was said during conversations Frequently repeating things that were said previously Finding a story’s plot difficult to follow

Rapid Reference 5.12 Working Memory Composites* and Subtests in Cognitive and Achievement Scales***

WorkingMemory

Component

CAS II** DAS-II KABC-II WAIS-IV WISC-IVIntegrated

WISC-V WJ-IVCOG

WJ- IVACH & Oral

WPPSI-IV

Phonological STM

Word Series

Recall of Digits Forward

Number Recall

Digit SpanForward

Letter Span Rhyming; Letter Span Nonrhyming

Digit Span Forward

Memory for Words

Visual-SpatialSTM

Figure Memory; Visual Digit Span

Recall of Designs;Recall of Objects-Immediate; Recall of Pictures

Face Recognition; Hand Movements

Spatial Span Forward; Visual Digit Span;

Picture Span

Picture Recognition

WORKING MEMORY;Picture Memory;Zoo Locations

VerbalWM

Sentence Repetition;Sentence Questions

Story Recall Reading Recall;SentenceRepetition

Visual-Spatial WM

Spatial Span Backward

ExecutiveWM

WORKING MEMORY;Recall of Digits Backward;Recall of Sequential Order

Word Order Arithmetic;Digit Span Backward;Digit Span Sequencing;Letter-Number Sequencing

Letter Number Sequencing; Spatial Span Backward

Digit Span Backward;Digit Span Sequencing;Letter-Number Sequencing

SHORT-TERM WM;Numbers Reversed;Object-Number Sequencing;Verbal Attention

UnderstandingDirections

*Items in upper case are the names of composites.**CAS II = Cognitive Assessment System-Second Edition; DAS-II = Differential Ability Scales-Second Edition; KABC-II = Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition; WAIS-IV = Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition; WISC-V = Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition;;;; WJ IV COG = Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities; WJ IV ACH & Oral = Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement and Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Oral Language; WPPSI-IV = Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Fourth Edition***This table is Appendix M in the Online Resources.

Memory and Processing Assessment PlannerStudent: DOB: Age: Grade: Date of Referral: Form Completed By: Date:

Academic Deficiency or Concern

Memory and Processing Weaknesses

Non-Processing Hypotheses

Assessment Method or Test Battery

Composites** and Subtests to Administer

Memory and Processing Analysis WorksheetStudent’s Name: ___________________________ Date-of-Birth: __________ Gender: ____ Age: ___ Grade: ___ Date of Testing: ________

Process Name of Scale

Names of Composites& Subtests

ObtainedStandar

dScores

Process Score

95%Confidence

Interval

IQ orMean

Discrepancy NormativeS or W

Intra-Individual

S or W

Deficit or Asset

Phonological STMVisual-Spatial STMVerbal WM

Visual-Spatial WMExecutive WM

LTM Verbal

LTM Visual-SpatialLTM Encoding

LTM Retrieval FluencyProcessing

Processing

Processing

Processing

PairsComponent or

ProcessConfidence

IntervalComponent or

ProcessConfidence

IntervalSignificant? Relationship

Directions: (1) Convert all scores to standard scores with a mean of 100 and an SD of 15. (2) For the Process Scores, if a composite is unavailable, compute the mean of the subtest scores and round to the nearest whole number. (3) When confidence intervals are not available from the specific scale’s manual, use a general 95% confidence interval by adding and subtracting 10 points from the Process Score. (4) For the Cross-Battery Mean, compute the mean of scores in the Process Score column. (5) For the Discrepancy value, subtract the Cross-Battery Mean from the Process Score. (6) Indicate whether the Process Score is a normative weakness or strength (90-109 is average). (7) Using a criterion of 12 points, determine intra-individual strengths and weaknesses. (8) Determine

deficits and assets. A deficit is both a normative and intra-individual weakness; an asset is both a normative and intra-individual strength. (9) Compare logical pairs of processes. When the Confidence Intervals do not overlap, there is a significant difference. See Chapter 9 for additional instructions and examples.

Memory and Processing Analysis WorksheetStudent’s Name:_________Jacob_____________ Date of Birth: ___________ Gender: ____ Age: __13__ Grade: __7__ Dates of Testing: ___________

Process Name of Scale

Names of Composites& Subtests

ObtainedStandard

Scores

Process Score

95%Confidence

Interval

IQ orMean

Discrepancy

NormativeS or W

Intra-Individual

S or W

Deficit or Asset

Phonological STM

WJ III COG Memory for Words

82 82 72-92 (KABC-II IQ) 95

-13

Visual-Spatial STM

WJ III COG Picture RecognitionDesign Memory

90

(7) 85

88 77-97 95 -7

Verbal WM WJ III COG Sentence MemoryStory Memory

(7) 85(8) 90

88 78-98 95 -7

Visual-Spatial WM

WISC-IV Integrated

Spatial Span Backward

83 83 73-93 95 -12

Executive WM

WJ III ACH Understanding DirectionsAuditory WM

80

80

80 70-90 95 -15

Verbal Recall WRAML2 Story Memory Delay RecallVerbal Learning Delay Recall

14 (120)

12 (110)

115 105-125 95 +20

Visual-Spatial Recall

WRAML2 Design Memory RecognitionPicture Memory Recognition

4 (70)

5 (75)

72 63-83 95 -23

Storage (Recognition)

WRAML2 GENERAL RECOGNITION

116 116 106-126 95 +21

Retrieval WJ III COG Retrieval FluencyRapid Picture Naming

9099

95 85-105 95 0

Processing Speed

WJ III COG PROCESSING SPEED

65 65 55-75 95 -30

Executive Functions

BRIEF Parent

GENERAL EXECUTIVE COMPOSITE

81(T-Score)

54 44-64 95 -41

PairsComponent Confidence Interval Component Confidence Interval Significant? Relationship

Executive WM 70-90 Executive Functions 44-64Visual-Spatial STM 77-97 Visual-Spatial Recall 63-83Executive WM 70-90 Processing Speed 55-75Visual-Spatial Recall 63-83 Verbal Recall 104-124