Mary’s program was customized to address her profound memory impairment. Initially, she struggled to comprehend both the theory and application of memory techniques due to her inability to grasp abstract concepts. This prevented her from understanding and much less applying proper memory techniques.

Mary also had difficulty visualizing. Her language lacked vivid details and failed to activate the concept, or structure she had to recall. To redress this, Mary was 1) taught that she can rely on phonetics/rhyming when developing visual cues and 2) was given a list of action words and adjectives to facilitate the integration of imagery when applying memory techniques. Customization of Mary’s program also incorporated tactile elements to appeal to her learning style.

As Mary demonstrated proficiency in employing the memory techniques, the goals of the session advanced accordingly. Sessions then targeted processing speed to improve the rate at which Mary can retrieve the material she had memorized using evidence-based strategies. To achieve this, a time component was integrated to each of the exercises. Mary was timed during both the storage and retrieval phases. Mary also completed personalized worksheets to practice retrieving information she had learned/stored during sessions. Sessions were intense and compelled her to work both effectively and efficiently.

Mary often would become overwhelmed and anxious when she could not retrieve something immediately. She would say ‘I lost it.’ Beyond learning memory techniques and strategies, Mary learned how memory works. She learned that memories can sometimes be inaccessible, and that setting up cues, using prompts, and making adjustments to her schedule/setting can help with recalling information better.