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Original poster

Slow processing speed

52 replies

RaveOn · 16/05/2019 08:34

Does anyone know anything about processing speed?

My DD has autism and dyspraxia. She has a lot of difficulties, but apart from handwriting, school work has always been a strength up till now. At primary school she was above average, and she did well in her SATs, particularly English.

She is now in year 7 and is suddenly having lots of difficulties with her work, and we don't really understand why.

She is finding it hard to follow lessons, particularly when the teacher is doing lots of talking at the front of the class - she says she finds it impossible to keep up with. She says she doesn't understand when teachers explain things - but everyone else seems to follow it.

She is also have lots of problems in lessons that require a lot of writing, eg. english, RE. She can't seem to write more than a paragragh, and then gets stuck. This is having an impact on assessments - in English they are expected to produce a piece of extended writing (teacher says 1.5 - 2 pages) but DD can only write a paragragh - even when given extra time. She has a laptop so it's not handwriting that's the issue.

Does this sound like slow processing speed? Is it possible for a child with this difficulty to do well at primary, and then struggle in secondary? Is there anything else that could be causing these difficulties?

She already has an EHCP, but she is being reassessed by Ed Psych on Tuesday because she has missed a lot of school due to anxiety/school refusal.

We really want to get to the bottom of what is causing her anxiety in school. One of the things she mentioned was panicking because she can't follow what the teacher is saying - so I want to ask them to check her processing speed and anything else that could be causing her problems, but as ed psych time is limited I dont want to ask her to spend it on unnecessary tests. Any ideas/advice welcome Smile

OP posts:
Original poster
RaveOn · 16/05/2019 09:56

It's not just instructions, its general teaching as well. So teacher is explaining some concepts in ie. Geography and she can't follow what they're saying. Or explaining how to complete a maths problem, and she doesn't understand what they're saying so doesn't know how to do her work. She says everyone else in the class seems to follow and understand. If she asks for help, she says the teacher just ends up doing the sum for her so she still doesn't learn.

The school have mentioned a scribe, DD says it won't help as it's not the actual writing, but knowing what to write which is the problem. She's even less eloquent verbally than written down, and has horeendous social anxiety, so this would just add to her stress levels I think! She has no difficulties getting started, she just can't seem to write more than a paragraph. Maybe its organising her thoughts into an extended piece if writing, maybe its concentration, maybe she doesn't know what she's expected to write, I dont know.

OP posts:
Malbecfan · 16/05/2019 09:33

It might be that the teacher is giving a number of instructions at once and she can't take them all in. She acts on the first one, but then can't remember the next and gets in a panic.

I am trying to get my year 8s to take in 3 instructions at a time, but they are fairly simple and common sense: e.g. switch off your keyboard. hand in your music sheet, sit down in your place with your book open. If it is practical work, I always have instructions on the board as I do have a number of bright kids who cannot take in lots of information.

Has your DD tried ditching writing altogether and answering verbally? Sometimes they get what I call "blank paper syndrome" where they stress about how to start writing, so the panic sets in and they don't write anything. Maybe if you could sit down with her and ask her to explain one of the tasks out loud, it might help to unblock something.