Developmental trajectories of forward and backward digit spans in deaf children with cochlear implants

Abstract

The findings from this longitudinal study suggest that differences in the rate of development of STM/WM may influence S/L outcomes in children with CIs. The clinical implications of these findings are significant because they indicate that the rate of development of STM/WM, and not just the actual level of STM/WM at a single time point, predicts later S/L development in this clinical population. Targeted interventions to improve developmental rate of verbal STM/WM may hold promise for enhancing S/L skills in children with CIs.