An investigation of the Correlation between Phonological and Visual Working Memory with Severity of Stuttering in 6-12 Years-Old Children

Stuttering is one of the most common speech disorders that its exact causes have not been clearly understood. According to the previous studies, impairment of cognitive functions, including verbal, visual and numeral working memory, have been reported in most kinds of speech and language disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between several kinds of working memory with severity of stuttering. In this research, stutter children (N=15), aged between 6-12 years, were recruited. The verbal memory scale of Wechsler test (word treasury and number expandation) was used to evaluate the phonological working memory. Furthermore, the colorful Reyvan test, specific for children, was applied for evaluation of visual memory, and SSI3 test was used to measure the level of stuttering. The results of the present work revealed deficits in phonological (verbal, numeral) and visual working memory of stutter children. Moreover, a significant correlation was found between children’s age and level of stuttering. Current study indicated the impression of phonological and visual working memory, as well as children’s age, on the severity of stuttering.