The Journey

The Memory Mates intervention is based on empirical research in the field of working memory and attention. The intervention was developed specifically to respond to the groups of students being referred to Learning and Support Teams and School Counsellors/Psychologists with low working memory and diverse learning needs. Our aim in developing Memory Mates was to move beyond identification to provide intervention strategies that teachers and students can use within the classroom context.

The strategies were initially successfully implemented as part of an applied research project, targeting individual students within a classroom context. Excitingly, the students understood and connected with the strategies. Linda Sheldon and Nash Davis approached Associate Professor Susan Colmar at The University of Sydney to discuss their findings. With shared enthusiasm and passion for Memory Mates, all three members of the team undertook further research and development work. We successfully obtained a Sydney University research program grant (2013-14) enabling us to implement a larger scale study.

As a team, we continue to meet regularly to develop the resources and publications. This common interest has enabled us to be productive and remain inspired. Above all this journey has been a wonderful experience, both incredibly rewarding and fun.