ABSTRACT
The working memory model proposed by Baddeley and Hitch (1974), and subsequently modified by Baddeley (1986), has provided the theoretical basis for a considerable body of research examining memory in typically developing children (see Gathercole, 1998). The model has been less often applied to the study of working memory in individuals showing atypical development (though see Hulme & Mackenzie, 1992). Nevertheless, there are good reasons for attempting to extend the scope of the model in this direction. The purpose of this chapter is to outline the ways in which the working memory model can inform this type of research, by explaining deficits seen in memory and learning in various atypical groups. In doing this, alternative explanations of these memory deficits will be considered and contrasted against the working memory account. In particular, the question of whether working memory deficits are a fundamental cause of learning disability, or rather arise as a consequence of more general learning difficulties, will be addressed. This will highlight the problems involved in applying the working memory model in this area, some of which stem from attempting to use what is essentially an adult model to describe developmental data. Given these problems, the final section of the chapter will consider ways in which the model might be usefully developed in the future to provide a more dynamic and interactive model of atypical working memory development.
