Child & Adolescent Development: Impact of Sleep Disordered Breathing and Working Memory

This article discusses the impact of sleep disordered breathing and working memory on child and adolescent development. It explores the case of Kyla, an eight-year-old child who is experiencing challenges in school due to her inability to comprehend lessons and often falls asleep in class. The article also discusses the impact of sleep disordered breathing on poor academic performance and the association of working memory and cognitive functioning in children. It concludes by exploring treatments to lessen the rate of disorders among children with OSA symptoms.

Running head: CHILD & ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT
CHILD & ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT
Name of the Student:
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Introduction
The child brain comprises of a number of influential and powerful learning methods at its
disposal, even prior to their birth. Infants and young children gain understanding of mechanism
causality from perceptual knowledge. Perceptions or thoughts organizes itself considerably
around a fundamental framework further representing the array of cohesive, well-established,
three-dimensional factors which are further rooted in the range of mechanical associations such
as shoving, blocking and sustain (Guilleminault et al., 2013). Factors related to action is regarded
as significant to the development of descriptive framework when the child develops competence
to influence varied causes and further evaluate the impacts and learning takes place. Children can
be manipulated y determining the stimuli along with the related responses whereby the smaller
attainable challenges aim to instil buoyancy into the minds of a developing child in order to
achieve the performance and further progress to an improved cognitive growth and development
during the stages of early childhood (Marcus et al., 2013). Several observations derived from
biological and behavioural sciences substantiate that inherited capabilities and potential interacts
with experiences since birth through the phases of the whole childhood development procedures
and cognitive growth and development has no exceptions. The paper aims to cast light on a study
whereby a child is undergoing challenges in her school because of the lack of comprehending the
lessons delivered to her in class, and often fall asleep thus leading to incomplete class activities
and lower level of social development among her peers. However, these situations can be
associated with certain psychological factors related to the child’s cognitive and memory
development and resulting to her social and emotional well-being.
Discussion

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Impact of Paediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing and Lethargy
Kyla, an eight years old child as stated in the case study has been experiencing certain
crucial challenges which have been further causing her to lead an exigent life at a very early age.
It has been identified from the given case study that Kyla has been showing tendencies of
sleepiness and lethargy while attending her classes and further leading to certain problems of
being unable to pay adequate attention in class. This disorder can thus be related to paediatric
sleep disordered breathing whereby children experience restless sleep and paradoxical breathing
symptoms (Biggs et al., 2015). As a consequence, children undergo daytime indications which
further include lack of attentiveness, difficulties in concentrating on things along with extreme
level of daytime sleepiness (EDS). Another factor related to Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)
can further be related to these issues associated with inadequate sleep at nights which is
characterised by the persistent events of upper-airway obstacle and difficulty during sleep that
causes frequent arousals in between sound sleep and interruption of regular ventilation system. It
has further been noted that a wide range of potentially impenetrable aspects further elevates the
levels of risks of cognitive dysfunction among young children with the extensive severity of
OSA (Turnbull, Reid & Morton, 2013). The executive execution and implementation that
includes the mental processes by further facilitating children to execute, concentrate, and
memorize lessons and instructions in an effective manner. These executive operations as well as
self-determining competences are reliant on the functioning memory, cognitive flexibility as well
as self-control. The concept of working memory further necessitates temporary deficiency of
knowledge and information and the competence to precisely influence the information (Fristad &
MacPherson, 2014). For instance, Kyla has been attending her classes on a regular basis but has
been revealing difficulties and challenges while comprehending the class lessons to her teacher

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and parents when being asked. Kyla often reveal indications of her challenges in memorizing the
chapters taught in class as well as the steps of her arithmetic lessons. However, working memory
has been found to draw a parallel with certain rational and intellectual functions in an improved
way in comparison to short-term memory (Zwaigenbaum et al., 2015).
Impact of Sleep Disordered Breathing in Children resulting to Poor Academic
Performance
Verbal functioning memory mutilations has further been related to symptoms of OSA and
may further negotiate young children’s understanding or learning abilities and neurocogntive
advancement. Certain investigations have observed that there has been drastically declined level
of performance on the memory assessments, executive functioning as well as the general
development and intelligence in children of 5-8 years of age with critical symptoms of SDB in
comparison to the asymptomatic children (Owens & Adolescent Sleep Working Group ,2014).
However, other observations have revealed evidences of lower level of general brainpower,
language along with visual-spatial abilities in the consistently sleepiness and snoring of children.
Kyla has been demonstrating similar traits in her class thereby unable to show interest to class
lessons and most significantly to her classmates (Turnbull, Reid & Morton, 2013). Furthermore,
there have been certain other observations based on the functioning memory as well as essential
concentration and attentiveness tasks were assessed in children aged 8-12 years suffering from
OSA and has been contrasted to the complementary healthy determinant functioning (Hunter et
al., 2016). It is significant to note that there has been very less reliability and stability related to
the association between OSA severity and remembrance performance in children. However,
certain observations demonstrated the performance and functioning level of memory based on
the regular psychometric evaluation in children suffering from OSA disorders has been

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extensively weakened in comparison to the health regulations comprising increased level of
respiratory disorder and interruption indices further correlating with increased rate of memory
shortages (Guilleminault et al., 2013). Drawing connection to the given case study, it has further
been revealed that several schools issues have been reported in the multiple-case series of
children suffering from OSA and disclose excessive behavioural disorders, interruptions such as
lethargy, restlessness, extensive daytime sleepiness as well as low level test performances
(Shochat et al., 2014).
Treatments to lessen the rate of disorders among children with OSA symptoms
However, specific therapeutic measures and treatments in children’s social well-being
and behavioural developments have revealed improvements in the memory deficits and
shortages. It is important to note that, certain treatment options of Sleep Disordered Breathing
incorporate critical involvements with the removal of hypertrophic adenoids and tonsils in
children which is further being recognized the frequently executed treatment procedures along
without any surgical interventions such as positive airway pressure therapeutic measures like
CPAP and anti-inflammatory entities (McEvoy et al., 2016).
Impact of Cognitive Issues in Working Memory
Several psychologists have emphasized on certain crucial impact which had taken place
in order to associate working memory deficit or short-term memory, but had been unable to
congregate this disorder to a single component. With the progress of a broad range of authorized
measures of the primary factors of working memory, theorists have provided enhanced
knowledge of the working memory reports linked with various kinds of nonconforming or
unusual growth and advancements (Galland et al., 2015). Studies have demonstrated that

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children with working memory deficit have been incompetent to achieve considerable marks and
having low level reading and analytical competencies. Similar findings have been gathered from
the tests and experiences Kyla has been undergoing, whereby her teacher, class mates as well as
family have been sharing evidences of her lethargic and indifferent behavioural patterns in class
and further revealing no interests of enthusiastic characteristics which the other children of her
class have been showing (McCarter et al., 2013). Certain observations have stated that children
in recent times, from 7-10 years have been showing such characteristics thus leading them to
lack of working memory, excessive sleepiness. Low level working memory competencies are
often been regarded as the fundamental causes of learning difficulties, inability to comprehend
knowledge and showing weariness, exhaustion and furthermore the lack of inclination to develop
peer relations (McEvoy et al., 2016). Children suffering from such challenges have been
struggling on the process of learning activities which have further been placing extensive
pressure on their working memory. Some distinguished instances of incompetence are associated
with the inabilities of children in remembering lengthy lessons or numbers and thus resulting into
the growing rate of disinterest and apathy (Melby-Lervåg & Hulme, 2013). It is important to note
that the other working memory concerns have been related to certain unusual growth whereby
children with Specific Language Impairment reveal inability to develop language at the usual
rate in the absence of any essential cognitive, sensory or physical shortages. It has further been
noted that utilizing attention and concentration in order to refresh knowledge and information
have been linked to the extent to which young children about 5-8 years of age or younger,
demonstrate very less possibilities of using attention in order to revive or restore the items taught
in class (Friso-van den Bos et al., 2013). Children usually restrict their performance level on the
basis of the time of their retention level.

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Association of Working Memory and Cognitive Functioning in Children
Similar to the level of contributions of working memory to the attainment as well as
functioning of language, cognitive development also significantly contributes to the acquisition
as well as functioning of language. The development of cognition primarily engages brain
functioning through the process of thoughts and perceptions which is further be signified as the
process of information functioning. However, there have been very less investigation on the
functioning of cognition in children which may further be relied to the rate of cognitive
manipulation and general intelligence as well as the cognitive abilities (De Weerdt, Desoete &
Roeyers, 2013). One significant lack of evidence present in previous observations of the role of
working memory and level of intelligence among children is that tasks are utilized to
operationalize the two primary constructs which are considered as considerably identical.
However, few studies in recent time have demonstrated the implementation of recently
established working memory test battery which intends to reduce the overlapping tendencies
with the intelligence evaluation performances of similar categories in association (McCarter et
al., 2013). Furthermore, while the intelligence assessment tests are considered to be distant from
the principles and ideals, they sustain to remain at the most effective instrument equipment for
revealing the level of cognitive performance and functioning of children. Recent observations
conducted by several Australian psychologists demonstrate that the concise evaluations of
cognition are often utilized in order to provide rapid measurable factors of intelligence,
brainpower and further to evaluate the inabilities or lack of attention towards learning, with other
developmental disabilities along with neuropsychological concerns (Turnbull, Reid & Morton,
2013). However, deriving instances from the case study of Kyla, it can be argued that concise
cognitive evaluations comprises of high importance and connection for children specifically to

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medical cases. Recent investigations recommend that concept related to working memory might
pose certain potentialities which would affect the cognitive functioning. Baddeley’s model of
working memory has argued that the functioning of working memory comprises of various
components. Furthermore, one of the essential factors proposed by Baddeley is known as the
phonological loop’ whereby auditory or verbal information can either be sustained or rehearsed
(Guilleminault et al., 2013). However, recent studies have revealed that the factors related to
working memory regarded as phonological loop tends to serve to the levels of functioning of
cognition in young children. It is further to be noted that such associations may be signifying to
the characteristics of cognitive function evaluation whereby the assessments and evaluation can
be monitored through verbal communication and would need children to use verbal information.
Conclusion
However, it can be demonstrated that specific factors related to the functioning of child
brain has high degree of engagement with cognitive functioning, further incorporating the
understanding of general intelligence and information, perception abilities along with the
influence of knowledge and information which necessitates a child to develop an improved
working memory as well as explicitly reasonable phonological loop competence. Furthermore, it
would further emerge that any evaluation of cognitive functioning has been administered to
children, whereby the primary psychological assessment may further necessitate incorporating an
analysis of working memory such as the test battery. The report has explicitly evaluated the way
working memory and Sleep Disordered Breathing has posed extensive challenges towards
children suffering from such disorders and further affecting the level of social and emotional
well-being of children. For most of the young children, this age has been regarded has a critical
stage of positive development and progress, however for few such as Kyla, face rate of declining

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level of motivation and encouragement, emotional well-being along with the involvement with
schools and the established activity programs.

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