A child with a working memory deficit may experience no problems if his or her environment places little demand on this skill. Conversely, even minor working memory deficits can cause extreme impairment in a highly demanding environment. The discrepancy that (neuro)psychologists often see between a child’s performance on diagnostic tests and their everyday functioning highlights the need for assessment tools that are ecologically valid and that can be administered in everyday settings. The current project consists of several phases:

• In phase 1, we will develop norms for two existing working memory tasks, the Lion game and the Monkey game.
• In phase 2, we will assess the performance of 6 to 12 year old children with developmental disorders on the Lion game and Monkey game in two different settings (i.e., diagnostic setting versus classroom setting). Comparing assessments in classroom and diagnostic settings will allow us to examine contextual impact on daily functioning in children with developmental disorders.
• In phase 3, a user guideline (together with and for clinical professionals) will be developed, on how to use the working memory tasks and interpret the assessment results within an ecological framework.    

During each phase, we will collaborate with clinicians who work at several mental healthcare institutions.

• dr. Dave Hessen
• dr. Eva van de Weijer-Bergsma

• prof. dr. Sarah Durston