Working Memory

When should I choose this Area of Focus for my Gabadoo?

There are several reasons why a parent would choose to focus on developing their child's working memory skills through Gabadoo.

Working memory difficulties can impact a child's ability to retain and manipulate information in their mind over short periods of time. Here are some signs that may indicate that your child is struggling with their working memory:

Children with working memory challenges may have trouble remembering and following multi-step instructions. They may forget or get confused about the sequence of tasks or instructions provided, leading to errors or incomplete tasks.
Children with working memory difficulties may have difficulty remembering and recalling information, such as details from a story, instructions given a few moments ago, or concepts discussed in class. They may struggle to retain information in their mind long enough to work with it or respond appropriately.
Working memory is crucial for problem-solving tasks that require holding multiple pieces of information in mind simultaneously. Children with working memory issues may struggle with tasks that involve mental calculations, organising information, or manipulating different variables to find a solution.
Working memory difficulties can impact a child's ability to learn and perform academically. They may struggle to remember and apply previously learned information, have difficulty following complex directions in assignments, and may exhibit slower progress compared to their peers.
Working memory deficits can make it challenging for children to organise and plan their activities. They may struggle to break down tasks into smaller steps or create effective strategies to approach a task. They may have difficulty keeping track of materials, instructions, or deadlines.
Working memory and attention are closely linked. Children with working memory difficulties may have trouble sustaining attention and focusing on tasks that require holding information in mind. They may become easily distracted or lose track of their train of thought.

Our team is experienced with supporting children and teenagers with developing their working memory skills through Gabadoo in order to reduce the impact on their daily life.

What information do I need to include in my Gabadoo?

As our Gabadoo Team have never met your family before and know nothing about your child, they can only provide strategies based on the information you provide so be very detailed!

After you have filled in the relevant information in your Gabadoo, go through this checklist to make sure you have included the following:

Family & Home Life:

Description of your family & the structure of your family including siblings, pets or any extended family who are living in your home.

Your daily routine including school hours, drop offs, time spent on hobbies and homework and free time in the evening and at the weekends so our team provide activities that are achievable for your routine.

Strengths and Interests:

What does your child or teenager like to do?

What games, toys, T.V. programs do they like?

What type of activities do they seek out?

What are some of their sensory preferences (e.g. music, visual details, movement etc.)?

Include what type of learner they are (if you know) e.g. visual, auditory etc.

What motivates them?

Do they respond to praise from adults?

Additional Information:

What class is your child in at school?

What type of schooling do they receive? i.e. homeschooling, mainstream N.S., gaelscoil, preschool, ASD class, Special School.

Have you seen any professionals in the past in relation to their development? If so, what was the outcome?

Make sure to include:

How is this impacting on your child's life? How is it impacting on family life?

What your child/teenager has tried before in terms of developing their working memory skills? What was effective? What wasn't effective? What were some of the barriers?

Are there specific tasks that your child finds more challenging than others?

When motivated by a task or activity, does their working memory skills improve?

What would you like to gain from this Gabadoo?

Remember: The more information you give our team, the more individualised and relevant your plan will be.

What support will I receive for my child?

Your information will be reviewed by one of our Gabadoo Experts who is experienced in the area of working memory skills. They will detail individualised strategies, activities, next steps and helpful organisations and products that you can use at home to support your child or teenager.