Anyone know of any studies (viewable online hopefully) investigating chess and cognitive development at either/both ends of the age spectrum?

[Background: I was involved in a research project funded by NIST to develop software for young children with cognitive learning disabilities. We used various game and puzzle type constructs but nothing as complicated as chess]

This may help you out a bit, but I warn you that there is nothing 100% conclusive here. Just some theories, basically. :)

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-players/iq-and-chess-the-real-relationship?page=1

I'm not sure what you are asking.

I have no idea why you would want to make learning disabled kids good at puzzles except for the fun they might have solving them.

Please God, not another thread on the relationship between chess and IQ.

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/benefits-of-chess

Check the bibliography in particular.

The purpose was not to help the children become better at puzzles per se but rather to develop the underlying cognitive skills needed to solve the puzzles. The project was funded to attempt to develop software that might achieve the results that (expensive) one-on-one theraputic approaches can effect.

Interesting.