SEQUENTIAL RECALL IN INDIVIDUALS WITH DOWN-SYNDROME

This study investigated whether memory for item order is selectively i mpaired in a group of individuals with Down syndrome. The ability to r ecall correctly ordered information was examined using two auditory ta sks-narrative recall (Time 1) and digit span (Time 2)-and a nonverbal, visual task (Time 2) on which mental age (MA) matching was partially determined. Although subjects with Down syndrome recalled significantl y less information than MA-matched controls on both auditory tasks, re plicating previous findings of auditory memory span deficits, no diffe rences in the ordering of recalled information were found. Nor did the groups differ in the relative frequency of ordering errors in the Vis ual task. Neither a pervasive deficit in sequential processing nor a s pecific difficulty in recalling the order of information is supported. Alternative accounts are discussed.