How do you help kids whose memory is completely unreliable? Some things my son studies go right in his brain and are easily accessible. Other things (similar content) seem to hit a roadblock. There are days that he takes a test and for some reason he is unable to access the information that is there.
It’s not just test anxiety. Some nights it’s clear that nothing is lined up right with the neurons, and it’s a waste of time to try anything academic. Sometimes just an hour later and it’s like a different kid.
Fortunately his teacher is always willing to let him retake a test that he has failed. But dealing with his frustration over a bad grade on a test that he had studied for is hard to take. I guess it’s like being late for work because the car won’t start. It’s not his fault, but he still blames himself.
Re: Dealing with an unreliable memory
An unreliable memory can be associated with some types of epilepsy and some types of ADHD.
With epilepsy (petit mal/absence), the memory difficulties can be a part of the seizure and post-recovery period. With ADHD, the information may be absorbed in very short chunks (short attention span) and may never be 100% retrievable as a long unit (long attention span).
There is a question as to whether epilepsy meds improve memory - some tend to believe the epilepsy meds do not improve memory; some believe the epilepsy meds may sometimes cause memory difficulties.
The ADHD meds can temporarily improve memory/aspects of memory but the ADHD meds only relieve symptoms; the ADHD meds do not correct all the memory challenges perfectly. The ADHD meds are known to actually improve memory in some people (vs the epilepsy meds where there can be major questions as to whether the epilepsy meds improve memory).
That’s my understanding. Your question is a good question.
Wish that more people would provide you feedback on unreliable memories as it is a topic which is often not talked about at all it seems to me - but it is very real for some children and adults.
Re: Dealing with an unreliable memory
here today-gone tomorrow was our first clue that dd was ld. A dear friend and 30 year reading specialist pointed out that it was the strongest indicator to her of LD and got us to testing. this is where the ‘laziness” and “he/she could do it if he/she wanted to..” comments come from. It is aggravating to teachers that they don’t know what they knew yesterday (and may know tomorrow!) but it is devasting to the child.
A big factor for us was also how tired she was-a totally different kid when stressed or tired. We began to realize how much effort she was putting forth to try to stay focused, to try to read, etc. She was eventually dx specific language proccessing disability, later also ADD/inattentive, and even later, needing vision therapy although she had 20/20 vision. Having worked in all those areas-we are still needing the awareness of time, some memory and think we will go to Audiblox or IM in the summer. Having said that-she is having a very good 6th year with a supportive teacher and is totally mainstreamed, no support other than a study period instead of french 4x a week. She occasionally requests extra time for a test and is allowed to do so.
But its ITBS testing this week-her first without accomodations. We are holding our breath and praying.
Re: Dealing with an unreliable memory
My daughter in 5th grade has a unreliable memory. She can tell when all information is not being recalled for a test. The teacher lets her go to the ladies room or out in the hall to bring back the information. If she uses relaxing techniques ( brain gym) then she can recall the information. We have noticed that it usually occurs when she has taken in too much information during the day and has a test near her last class.
Personal experience and some hope
I personally have a weird memory, and the pattern runs in my family, my mother and me and my daughter all similar and my brother in many ways similar to.
What I mean by a weird memory: the absent-minded professor syndrome: all my life I could do things like memorizing a phone number or conjugating a French or Latin verb or spelling almost anything; but I never knew what day of the week (or frequently, what month) it was, or what time it was, or what my class schedule was, or whether I had any appointments, or where the scissors or car and house keys were. I also don’t recognize faces at all, and have a hard time learning names. I had a really hard time learning left from right and still sometimes miss.Even things I do know well, such as numbers, are subject to frequent reversals.
I finally realized that I remember things that can be organized into some kind of pattern, and I have real trouble with unattached facts.
I worked on teaching myself to remember things better. I work on focusing on faces and examining each feature, as an artist. I repeat names to myself over and over. I memorize things by chanting in rhythm. I mentally review my schedule every morning and every night. I put tomorrow’s things on top of my shoes so they can’t be forgotten. I keep my keys in my purse, period, no exceptions ever, and I trained myself into the habit of never ever leaving home without the purse (and thus keys, driver’s license, etc.) I edit my writing as I go, and again after. I check the calendar and clock all the time. Slowly, very slowly, over my thirties and forties, things began to come together a lot better. I now come close to pretending to be normal.
What does NOT work for me is all those cute mnemonic tricks — funny sentences with special initials, stupid stories, visualization tricks, agendas to write in and carry around (one more thing and three more processes and tasks to forget) — these things add to the memory load, and make the problem much worse, not better.
Relaxation is vital. Practice taking a deep breath and looking away. The idea of taking a break outside and coming back is good, although later in life may not be possible, so try mentally going away and coming back in a minute or two.
Work on finding patterns to learning and attaching new material to the old in sensible ways. Whenever you meet a new concept, take the time to explore it in all facets and see how it ties in to knowledge you have already; never rush to “cover material” (who is “covering” what if it is not retained?) Teach by logic instead of by rote; but when things must be memorized, use rhythm and pattern to hold them together. Learn the habits of constant editing and reviewing. Learn to do a nightly mental review to keep things in the memory. Use habit, like the purse and the shoes, as a coping mechanism to avoid memory overload of daily life.
One tactic to learn something — for example, I recommend this for the quadratic formula — is to write it on a file card, post it on the mirror where you can’t miss it, as it’s literaly on your nose, and recite it to yourself morning and night while brushing your teeth, for a week or two. It will stick.
Slowly but surely memory can be improved; like any skill, the more you practice, the better you get.
You could try audiblox. www.audiblox2000.com.
I think it is especially good for this particular problem. The child looks at a set of blocks then they are hidden. The child then has to replicate what he saw. It starts with only 3 blocks then you build from there keeping the original 3 blocks which helps with long term memory.
Could also be attentional. Interactive metronome helped my son with that part of the picture. Some tests he tested extremely high on memory others very low. It was just a matter of whether he was paying attention or not. His memory is much more consistant now.