The influence of non-verbal language (gestures) on memory and learning of students with developmental disorder and intellectual disability: A review

In reviewing the literature the dramatic role that memory and language have played in studies of cognitive processes is noticeable. However, there are few studies of the influence of non-verbal language -and specifically of gestures- on the working memory. This paper reviews the theory of how gestures facilitate working memory tasks both in children and adults, and how gestures influence the memory of students with developmental disorder and intellectual disability. The purpose is to inform about the relation between gestures and memory for the promotion and strength of pedagogical practices and interventions of teachers and professionals that interact with students with special educational needs and, in that way, to facilitate both their teaching-learning processes and their educational and social integration.