ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the various methodological issues that researchers have faced in assessing Working Memory (WM) in individuals with Down syndrome, including valid assessment, appropriate comparison groups, and understanding Working Memory in relation to overall developmental status. It explains the state of knowledge regarding Working Memory abilities in Down syndrome, their relationship to real-world, adaptive outcomes and academic achievement, and intervention-related findings. The chapter explores the next generation of memory training research in Down syndrome, the training of Working Memory. The majority of cases of Down syndrome are associated with a diagnosis of intellectual disability, with a range of outcomes in severity of impairment from borderline or mild intellectual disability to severe levels of intellectual disability. The WM profile associated with Down syndrome has been studied in the larger context of "behavioral phenotype" research in neurogenetic syndromes. Verbal WM requires the temporary storage and manipulation of verbal information. Visuospatial Working Memory requires the temporary storage and manipulation of visuospatial information.
