Cogmed Working Memory Training
An Evidence-Based Program for Improved Attention
Working memory is the search engine of the mind Working memory is the cognitive function responsible for keeping information online, manipulating it, and using it in your thinking. It is the way that you delegate the things you encounter to the parts of our brain that can take action. In this way, working memory is necessary for staying focused on a task, blocking out distractions, and keeping you updated and aware about what’s going on around you. We use our working memory constantly in daily life helping us to perform efficiently and effectively in academic, professional, and social settings.
An individual may be constrained by their working memory capacity if he/she:- Is easily distracted when working on or doing something that is not highly interesting.
- Has trouble waiting his/her turn, for example in a conversation or when waiting in line to get help.
- Struggles with reading comprehension and has to read through texts repeatedly to understand.
- Struggles with problem solving that require holding information in mind, for example mental math calculations.
- Is inconsistent in remembering math facts.
- Struggles with completing tasks, especially multiple step tasks.
- Has difficulty remembering long instruction given in several steps, for example following recipes, directions or school/work assignments.
- Struggles to understand the context in a story or a conversation.
- Has difficulties when planning and organizing something that needs to be done in separate steps.
- Has difficulty staying focused during cognitive demanding tasks but attends well when cognitively demands are minimal.
- Has difficulty integrating new information with prior knowledge.
- When called on, forgets what he/she was planning to say.
- Has difficulty taking notes and listening at the same time.
Refer to www.cogmed.com for research articles, testimonials, and more.
The guide below provides examples of how the working memory works and how a working memory deficit disrupts daily life at various age levels.
| cogmed-working_memory_chart_by_age_group.pdf |
