Verbal declarative memory impairments in specific language impairment are related to working memory deficits

This study examined verbal declarative memory functioning in SLI and its relationship to working memory. Encoding, recall, and recognition of verbal information was examined in children with SLI who had below average working memory (SLI(Low WM)), children with SLI who had average working memory (SLI(Avg. WM)) and, a group of non-language impaired children with average working memory (TD(Avg. WM)). The SLI(Low WM) group was significantly worse than both the SLI(Avg. WM) and TD(Avg. WM) groups at encoding verbal information and at retrieving verbal information following a delay. In contrast, the SLI(Avg. WM) group showed no verbal declarative memory deficits. The study demonstrates that verbal declarative memory deficits in SLI only occur when verbal working memory is impaired. Thus SLI declarative memory is largely intact and deficits are likely to be related to working memory impairments.