Reading Related Working Memory Task Performances among Various Subgroups of Learning Difficulties

The existing literature in the field of specific learning difficulty has focused mainly on working memory task performance, phonological processing, orthographical processing, etc. The present study aims at finding out the differences in various subgroups of specific learning difficulty. 78 children (both male & female, Age range 7-16 years) were taken and grouped into 7 subgroups on the basis of the loading of learning problems in specific academic areas. The groups are Reading difficulty, Writing difficulty, Difficulty in Reading and writing, Difficulty in Reading, writing and Arithmetic, Attention deficit problem with learning difficulty, Learning difficulty with low average IQ and Normal control. The aim of the study was to find out the group difference in various working memory tasks based on the identification and discrimination of reading related stimuli. Data analysis was done by non-parametric statistics (Kruskal Wallis) as the parametric assumptions were violated. The result shows a significant group difference in the working memory tasks which are more related to reading. Further analysis reveals that the group having intellectual deficit and the group having difficulty in multiple domains had the greatest difficulty in visual discrimination tasks. The result is more aligned with the orthographical skill deficit theory and magno-cellular theory which requires visuo-spacial processing skills in reading.