Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

University students with a history of reading difficulties experience reading and academic difficulties in a university setting and are in need of support; however, without a diagnosis of a learning disability, they are ineligible for academic accommodations. A critical relationship between working memory and reading has been well-documented and working memory deficits are characteristic features of populations with reading deficits. For example, working memory impairments are integral to individuals with aphasia (as a result of brain injury or stroke). Previous research has demonstrated that directly training working memory through targeted and intensive tasks can lead to functional neurological changes, as well as behavioural changes in working memory and other cognitive abilities. We are conducting a study to determine whether training working memory can contribute to performance gains on tasks that measure both working memory and other related cognitive abilities (i.e., reading and comprehension). Participants will complete adaptive training over the course of three weeks, as well as assessments pre-and post-training. Performance changes on assessment measures before and after training will be compared to performance on the trained task. If our outcomes are supported, these findings will inform the development of a promising intervention for students with reading deficits. Furthermore, this research can also provide rehabilitation methods for clinical groups with reading and working memory deficits due to brain injury or stroke.