What is Cogmed Working Memory Training and How Does it Work?

The RoboMemo© software program is a home-based training that is run on your own computer for a total of 25 days.  The training lasts approximately 30-45 minutes per day, five days a week, for a total of five weeks.  A parent or “training aide” gives support and guidance during the daily training sessions, while your personal coach provides weekly telephone conferences to answer questions and provide the support needed for a successful training.  

The RoboMemo© program is able to measure the progress your child is making each day and automatically adjust the difficulty level to match the working memory span of the child on each task.  In research, both in Europe and the United States, this training program has been shown to be 80% effective in helping those with attention deficits increase their  working memory capacity.  The program is clinically proven to be effective whether or not a child is on medication for attention problems.

 What is Working Memory and Why is it so Important? 

Working memory is what your mind currently has in front of it, what you are thinking about right now.  This is a little different from short-term memory, or the ability to recall something that you were recently thinking about.  Working memory is the ability to focus or concentrate on the task at hand, whether it is finishing a math assignment or following a series of instructions.  Working memory is the ability to hold information in our memory long enough to use it. 

Research shows that one of the main difficulties that face children with attention problems is a deficit in working memory.  Children and adolescents who have this deficit in working memory may struggle with concentration, finishing tasks, following through on assignments, have trouble remembering instructions, experience learning difficulties, and controlling their behavior. 

 There is hope.

Until recently, it was thought that we could not help those with a deficit in working memory.  The Cogmed Working Memory Training program is the first clinically-proven intervention to help train and increase your child’s working memory.   The RoboMemo© software program is a series of visually stimulating exercises that challenge your child to increase their ability to hold information in memory longer.  The program itself provides encouragement and feedback, while an optional racing game at the end of each session serves as a reward for good effort. 

Upon completion of Cogmed Working Memory Training 80% of participants show significant improvements in their ability to concentrate and use complex reasoning skills over the long term.  Clinical studies have shown that, not only is there an increase in working memory, but that this ability is still present six months and one year after training.  About 80% of parents whose children had benefited from the  RoboMemo© program reported that training effects had remained or increased one year later.  Clinically-proven results demonstrate that after training, children improve their ability to concentrate, control impulsive behavior, and better utilize problem solving skills. 

For more on the concept of Working Memory by Dr. Torkel Klingberg:  click here