Hi @oneveryworriedmum
This is my experience/advice as a parent with 2 DS with 2 totally different processing glitches. I don't have experience yet of another school setting so you may have a more positive experience than I have had so far.
It's a tough road I won't lie - it has had many lows to get DS through school but how we have also laughed at the ways slow processing can manifest in DS1.
DS, now 10, was also diagnosed at 7 with slow processing (13 centile) and poor working memory (68 centile) and like your son tested highly on verbal reasoning and perceptual reasoning abilities- 96 centile. He has been in a private school but we have pulled him out and will put him in the state sector for secondary in Sept- hopefully to reduce the pressure. However, my experience may be different as my DS has a poor working memory.
Your own personal knowledge and understanding in this area is key because I found, in my experience, that his school didn't have a great deal of knowledge on slow processing and the effects it can have during the whole school day. Dyslexia yes, slow processing not at all. This was our biggest and toughest challenge. Many individual teachers couldn't grasp why- when he was often called uniquely creative,bright and had beautiful handwriting- why he couldn't produce the output of his peers, why he was easily distracted and constantly being told off for classwork not being completed and/or lost and homework work being handed in late - despite his diagnosis. I personally found a disconnect of approach between how slow processing affects children in the classroom, in the playground (social relationships tricky as conversations are all fast paced), and then at home at the end of the day. Homework being a torturous affair, as I get the overly tired and emotional child at 3.30pm who can't cope with anymore work. These children are beyond exhausted after having run a marathon up hill just to get through the day processing not only work, but sights, sounds and social situations in a fast paced setting.
My advice
- once you have the diagnosis put your ED psych report away for a couple of weeks and reread it once you have some distance from the initial shock and panic. It won't matter if you look at it again in the Easter holidays.
- You need to understand what you expect from him. Less is more, understanding learning objective more important than speed. Do scribe for him at the end of the day. Don't force him to write. Start touch typing now.
- I was told to disregard CAT tests scores and in fact any speed testing scores
because it will never reflect his intellectual ability. This is tough when success in schools is measured by speed and quick recall. Even some sections in national CAT tests are timed. My son always fails this section as they are given 10 secs to answer a question before the page automatically moves on. I am not bothered by these test scores.
- I am more interested in what my son knows, critical thinking, logic, reasoning, rather than how much he can record in a set time frame. Testing often makes him feel physically sick and a failure before he has even started. So set your own personal goals for your son so you don't put either of you under unnecessary pressure. He is bright and will always be bright.
- It is important for the school to understand what success looks like for these DC in terms of output (different for everyone and will change with increasing workload/expectations). The school need to understand this themselves so not to inadvertently punish them for being unable to meet more mainstream expectations.
A book to read -
- Bright Kids Who Can't Keep Up: Help Your Child Overcome Slow Processing Speed and Succeed in a Fast-Paced World - by Ellen Braaten
A decent read - Americanised- but it's the only book I could find on the subject when not linked to dyslexia. Published in 2014.
I have found this link below useful (amongst a few I have read but this is a good start)
Bits of wisdom for all -
bitsofwisdomforall.com/2011/03/28/the-frustrated-learner/
Hope some of this is helpful to you. Good Luck these DC are funny and wonderful and DS brain is sometimes frankly amazing to me on how he compensates for lack of quick thinking.