We’ve heard this question a lot: Why is my kid so slow at doing things?
Slow processing speed is a real thing. It’s a condition that causes children to take longer than others to do things like have a simple conversation, do homework, or make decisions.
Children (and adults) who think, speak, and move slowly need more time to take in and use information. For example, they often know the right answer to a question, but need more time to answer it.
THE DEFINITION OF SLOW PROCESSING SPEED
Slow processing speed is not considered a formal learning disability, however slow movers tend to also have learning and attention issues like dyslexia, ADHD, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and auditory processing disorder.
If your child has trouble keeping up with the pace of classroom learning, struggles to follow directions, or is the last to finish tests, there is a strong likelihood that they are wired with a slow processing speed.
Experts estimate about 60% of people with slow processing speed also have ADHD and upwards of 30% will have dyslexia. Source: Beyond Book Smart
Having slow processing speed has nothing to do with how smart kids are. And telling people with slow processing speed to “hurry up” can add to their anxiety and make them take longer to complete a task.
Here are some tips for teachers:
- Help your student practice a specific skill to improve their speed
- Work on planning and organization skills
- Provide outlines and summaries of lessons
- Repeat instructions and task directions
- Encourage your student to overlearn
- Set reasonable expectations for a slow moving child
- Give grades for knowledge rather than performance
- Provide warnings and rewards to get your student prepared to act and move
Here are some other ideas for helping kids to move faster at home:
- Plan ahead and give your child extra time to prepare for activities
- Let your child know what to expect
- Keep calm – don’t yell or get angry
- Connect with your child – look them in the eye and speak slowly so that they have time to process
- Use a schedule and make checklists
- Turn tasks into games
- Give shorter directions
- Let your child experience natural consequences of being indecisive or late
- Above all, keep practicing patience
In the book, Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up, the authors describe how to put into practice the Three A’s of Processing Speed – accepting a child’s unique learning style, helping him or her to accommodate any learning challenges, and advocating for a child’s need
Boys are more affected by processing speed deficits than girls (70% of the children with significant processing speed deficits were boys).
Each day our world seems to move faster and faster.
And that’s true in the classroom too. Today a child needs to be able to process large amounts of information quickly and be able to shift back and forth between different types of tasks.
Although seen by most people as a very real deficit kids with slow processing speeds should be honored. There is a valuable place for these kids in our fast-paced world. Let’s make room for them.
