Slow processing speed - what does it mean?

 Do you ask your child questions and wait a long time for them to respond? 

Do you get frustrated that when you are in a hurry to leave the house and your child is always slow to find their shoes and put them on? 

Does a simple homework task that should have been finished by dinner drag on for the whole evening?

Does your child panic in timed tasks and spend more time watching the clock than doing the task?

All of these could be signs of slow processing.  It is not that the child can't do the task they just can't do it quickly.

Children with slow processing are often misunderstood and their real difficulties overlooked. Often their slowness is misinterpreted for not knowing or not being very bright. Many teachers still equate speed with brightness. They will regard the children who give the quickest answers as the brightest in the class.  In doing this they overlook the fact that many deep thinkers do so slowly. Many bright and gifted children are misjudged and given inappropriate work because teachers can not see past their slowness. They may not be given extension work because they do not complete routine tasks well in the time given.

Maths, in particular, is an area where the teacher's desire for quick answers is misguided. Of course we want children to be familiar with their number bonds and time tables and not have count and calculate every time they need them. However not being able to give an immediate answer does not mean the a child does not know their number facts. Maths has many facets and we want to develop reasoning and problem solving skills as well a calculation skills. Those who are quick at maths may not be the best mathematicians. My son has known his times tables since he was 5 and learnt them almost instantly. However if he is put on the spot and asked a times table question there will always be a time delay. If you judged his maths ability on this you would completely miss his deep understanding of maths and ability to make links between concepts and solve complex problems.

In writing tasks teachers often seem to value speed above content. If two children complete a task to a similar standard the teacher is likely to praise the child who finished first.  A child with slow processing may have written an excellent start to a story but the fact they have not finished their story will always be a problem. Sometimes the teacher will barely acknowledge the quality and effort that has gone into the writing they have done but just focus on the fact it is not finished. The child may also be wrongly accused of being lazy and not trying hard enough. Part of the problem is that the school day is divided in 30 minute to 1 hour slots and a certain amount of content has to be covered in each lesson. Teachers are constantly under pressure to cover the curriculum and this leaves little scope for extending a lesson and allowing more time for tasks when a student needs it.

So what is slow processing and how should we be supporting these learners?
For those familiar with IQ testing, processing speed is one of the 4 areas tested alongside verbal skills, non-verbal or visual perception and working memory. It is an important aspect of the child's learning profile and explains how a child may approach school work and everyday tasks. However it seems to be an area people know little about. Processing speed is the speed at which we can take in information presented visually or verbally and make sense of it or use it.  It is not related to overall intelligence.  It is perfectly possible to have high verbal or perceptual reasoning score but a low processing score.  Slow processing can be part of a learning difficulty like dyslexia, ADHD or auditory processing disorder. There are 3 aspects of processing - visual processing, verbal processing and the ability to respond with a quick motor response - child may have difficulty in one area or a combination of these. This can mean a child's response may vary from task to task.  This can be confusing for adults dealing with the child and can lead people to think that there is a lack of effort or motivation from the child. A child can be slow to answer verbal questions even if they know the answer. They may have difficulty with multi-step instructions and tasks, although they could do each step in isolation. They may be slow to complete written assignments particularly if there several parts. They may need to read information more than once before understanding and answering comprehension questions. They may have difficulty taking notes and become overwhelmed if there is too much information given at once.

There is an assumption that when we say something it should be immediately understood and acted upon. We do this a lot as parents and teachers and get frustrated when the child doesn't respond quickly to our instructions or questions.  Similarly when information is presented visually in a textbook, on a poster or on an interactive whiteboard it is assumed that everyone can process and make use of the information quickly and easily.  

Many adults do not realise that a child can struggle to process information at speed, but they may actually have a good understanding if they were given more time. If a child does not respond quickly to something there is an assumption that their understanding shaky or they need more practice. Sometimes a teacher may lower their academic expectations of a child because they think they are struggling with concepts that in fact they understand well.

What can you do to help?

If you are concerned about your child's processing speed you should seek professional help from an Educational Psychologist who can carry out an educational evaluation.  This will help everyone to understand your child's strengths and weaknesses better.

Make sure the teachers are aware if your child has slow processing speed and openly discuss what allowances can be made.

At School - advice for teachers
Allow more time to answer verbal questions - either ask the question and say that you will come back to the child in a few minutes or ask the question but then avoid direct eye contact or looking impatient while they are formulating their answer. If necessary check a child's understanding privately when the rest of the class are not listening.

Break tasks into small achievable steps and give praise when each part is completed. For example ask the child to complete the opening paragraph of the story rather than the whole story. Alternatively scribe for the child to quickly get down their ideas and then ask them to focus on the end of the story. Value the quality of the work rather than the quantity.

Avoid 'busy' pages of information and questions. Cut them up and present one part at a time. Provide a paper copy of any information displayed on the board.

Use checklists to show the steps involved in a longer writing task or maths questions.

Allow time for children to re-read texts before answering questions and encourage then to do so.

When possible avoid using timers, or time a task without drawing attention to it.

Set a realistic target for the child to complete in a lesson rather than letting them feel they have not finished or have failed.

Whenever possible allow extra time for tasks. Allow the child to complete one task while other children complete two.

Continue to present tasks that match their actual ability. For example let the child complete the most challenging parts of the lesson first, don't always keep the extension tasks for those who have finished the initial task.

At home - advice for parents
Plan out with your child how and when homework tasks will be completed. Allow at least double the time you think is necessary for each step.

Occasionally practice timed tasks but make the task fully achievable in the time given. Set a small target and slowly increase over weeks and months.

When going out make sure your child knows what they are expected to do before leaving. Ask them to repeat back to you what they need to do and prompt them in plenty of time to get ready. Provide visual checklists if necessary.

Talk to your child openly about their difficulties and reassure them that they can get things done and are capable they just have to give themselves enough time. Encourage your child discuss any frustrations at school and follow up with the class teacher if appropriate.

Draw attention to what they are good at and give examples of tasks that are better done slowly and carefully.  Discuss jobs that require a slow and careful approach.