By C. El Bokrioui, student of the Master in Applied Neuroscience

Abstract

Working memory is important for learning because children often need to keep information available while they read, follow instructions or solve a problem. Children with attentiondeficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and children with dyslexia or reading disability (RD) can both show working memory difficulties, but the patterns are not identical. This structured literature review compared ADHD, dyslexia/RD and comorbid ADHD-dyslexia using the phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad and central executive from Baddeley and Hitch’s multicomponent model. PubMed and the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) were searched with separate ADHD, dyslexia/RD and combined searches. The revised searches produced 4,039 records. After 609 duplicates were removed, 3,430 unique records were screened. Ninety-four reports were sought for full text, 43 were not retrieved, 51 were assessed and 38 were included in the narrative synthesis. Dyslexia/RD was most consistently associated with phonological or verbal short-term memory difficulties, although broader working memory weaknesses were also reported. ADHD was more consistently associated with central executive demands, with visuospatial storage difficulties in some studies.
Comorbid ADHD-RD usually showed a broader, mainly additive pattern rather than a completely separate profile. Reading and reading comprehension had the strongest academic evidence. Evidence for spelling and mathematics was smaller but still showed relevant links with working memory. Overall, the findings support different but overlapping working memory profiles.

Keywords: ADHD, dyslexia, reading disability, working memory, phonological loop, central executive.

Download the full Research Work: C. El Bokrioui (2026). Working memory profiles in children with ADHD, dyslexia and comorbid ADHD-dyslexia: a structured literature review based on Baddeley and Hitch’s multicomponent model. SAERA