Does anyone know about slow processing and ASD?

[IsItASD]

Ds aged 10 in year 6 recently diagnosed with dyslexia and dyscalculia. In addition he has very slow processing and working memory (1st percentile), NVR is 3rd percentile and verbal reasoning is 70th percentile. He's working at about year 2/3 and described as incapable of accessing the year 6 curriculum. All a bit of a nightmare given he's in year 6 and only recently diagnosed. It's been a long fight to get this far. I thought we were on track with the diagnosis and went in today and they've suggested he could have ASD. They also said he appears to be going backwards as seemingly unable to access work he has done previously. I think he's lost confidence after years of little or incorrect support. Can very slow processing cause such poor academic attainment alone or could it be asd?

[IsItASD]

The reasons for ASD are language based. He doesn't understand inference and concepts such as opposite or between. He's very sociable but the teachers are saying it's pretty much only with his friendship group which is quite extensive.

[Thekidsarefightingagain]

You can have ASD and very fast processing so I'd guess that slow processing speed and working memory indicates specific learning difficulties, eg dyslexia. Not sure if the discrepancy between verbal and non verbal reasoning is linked to dyspraxia? DH still gets positional concepts wrong (asked me to put something on the shed the other day). He's dyslexic.

[IsItASD]

OK, that's interesting. Thank you. I was thrown by the ASD suggestion and sobbed in front of the teachers. very embarrassing. There's some things that ring true, like he doesn't understand when something is inferred on a TV show or in conversation but once it's explained he's OK, he doesn't always 'get' jokes and struggled with concepts such as 'between'. But then again he's socially quite confident, has lots of friends and keen to see them and often makes sophisticated jokes. I just never thought of ASD and put it all down to dyslexia and in particular his very slow processing.

[Thekidsarefightingagain]

From what you've said it doesn't strike me as obvious ASD. Eg as I've said DH gets concepts such as 'between ' muddled and he hasn't got ASD. My mum doesn't get jokes at all (she definitely has dyspraxia and a huge discrepancy between verbal and non verbal reasoning but amazing social skills). ASD is more complex than this. Definitely worth getting it checked out though.

[Thekidsarefightingagain]

And yes, I would think that a slow processing speed could well cause the problems that he's having!

[IsItASD]

Thank you. I truly believe he's finding the classroom so difficult and particularly maths that he's given up and lost confidence.

[Thekidsarefightingagain]

Definitely worth getting a referral to a paediatrician but sounds like he desperately needs a really good EHCP so that he can work to his strengths, access the curriculum and start to regain his confidence. Hopefully school is putting in lots of support.

[IsItASD]

They're putting in as much as they can given they don't have extra funding for him. However, it's been a mess up from the start. I have had to push and push to get this far and I'm in no doubt that I had I not done that then thru would have done a whole lot less.

[Thekidsarefightingagain]

Sounds like you need to apply for an EHCP yourself then if he doesn't have this and the school haven't applied for one. Sounds like he definitely needs one.

[LightTripper]

I'm increasingly convinced that ASD is just a circle drawn pretty arbitrarily around a group of traits in a much wider world of neurodiversity. There are huge overlaps/linkages between ASD, ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia, etc. etc. Whether these traits get diagnosed (and as what) sometimes feels more like an art than a science. A person could have quite strong ASD traits in one respect, but not have ASD if they don't have the others, on the basis that this wouldn't usually seriously impair their overall ability to function (they can compensate with other skills). But they could still be very challenged by the trait, and ASD coping mechanisms and teaching methods might still be very effective/useful.

So it's worth reading up on ASD (NAS website is a good place to start) even if you don't feel it fully fits. It could be just one or two traits associated with ASD that are having more impact due to the combination with his dyslexia, for example.

[Thekidsarefightingagain]

Absolutely agree LightTripper. Love the way you've explained it. When you read up on ADHD/ dyspraxia/dyslexia and ASD there is a huge crossover. I guess we like to identify nice, neat 'disorders' whereas the reality is much fuzzier.

[Teawaster]

My son was diagnosed at 10 with ASD and ADD with dyspraxia traits. At 7 he was tested and came out weak in a lot of areas. He was tested again at 11 and had very weak processing skills and poor working memory but scored average for perceptual reasoning and verbal comprehension . The EP said she had never seen such a change in a set of results. I believe that DS was just not capable of concentrating on the test at aged 7. He is now described as having specific learning difficulties alongside his ASD and ADD. He spent the last 4 years of primary school in a MLD unit as that had been his initial diagnosis , although I never believed it. He is now in his last year at Mainstream secondary where he has had a brilliant CA and is doing 2 A levels.

[Thekidsarefightingagain]

Wow Teawaster, that's fantastic. You must be so chuffed. It just goes to show that when our children get the right support in school they can do really well. It's funny, ds who also has ASD, ADD, dyspraxia & SpLDs is only 6 but performs completely differently on cognitive tests so you do wonder how accurate they are at that age. I've started bribing him now.

[Teawaster]

I believe the tests are meant to be age appropriate but I still think that children with ASD are difficult to assess. The EP at the time did say that possibly the results could be taken with a pinch of salt as she wasn't sure they reflected his true potential. However that was what was presenting at the time and the recommendation was to place him in a MLD unit or else keep him in mainstream where he would only receive a couple of hours a day help. It was clear early on that he was ahead of the other pupils academically in the unit but they were all at different levels anyway and the curriculum accessed individually . He did benefit from being in a small class and I think gave him a good foundation in English and maths. He has done well, he still struggles with concentration and processing information and gets a lot of help but if you had told me he would be doing A levels 10 years ago I wouldn't have believed it in a million years

[IsItASD]

Thank you. The school have applied for a EHCP and we're waiting to see if they will assess him. I believe I can ask for him to be referred to a paediatrician so will do that. I feel something has been overlooked.