MEMORY MODALITY DIFFERENCES IN CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVE DISORDER WITH AND WITHOUT LEARNING-DISABILITIES

This study assesses information processing and memory functioning in 5 0 children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD ) with and without learning disabilities (LD). Mode of presentation (v isual vs. auditory), type of memory processing (immediate, short-term, and long-term), and order of recall (ordered vs. unordered) were asse ssed using the Learning Efficiency Test-II(LET-II). Both groups demons trated difficulty with auditory ordered recall and lost substantial in formation from immediate memory to short-term and long-term memory sto res. The ADHD/LD group also demonstrated more difficulty with ordered recall than the ADHD only group. While there were no differences betwe en the two groups in regard to immediate recall, the ADHD/LD group dem onstrated more problems transferring information into short-term and l ong-term memory stores than the ADHD only group. Verbal interference e ffects significantly decreased retention for both visual and auditory processing. Results indicate that ADHD alone presents significant prob lems in information processing, but the comorbid effects of a learning disability further intensify the negative impact of ADHD. (C) 1996 Jo hn Wiley & Sons, Inc.