Talk to me about slow processing disorder!

[OrlandointheWilderness]

As title really. My 13 year old DD is in year 9 at grammar school. She's the very youngest of her year (31st August!) and today her tech teacher pulled her aside to tell her she suspected she had slow processing. She is apparently going to arrange a processing test. She hasn't spoken to me about this first which I'm a bit cross at.
I don't know what to think tbh - it's not something I know anything about! DD is switched on at home - she shoots (well!) and follows instructions fine out shooting. She doesn't seem to struggle with instructions etc at home? What should I be looking for?

Obviously if it turns out she has got this then we will give her every bit of support she needs.

Additionally, it has really irritated me that my post ended with a blooming comma rather than a full stop!! iPhones for you 😂

Sorry to jump on your thread but I'd never heard of this before and after reading about it, I think my 7 year old my have it. It takes him ages to get a sentence out and if you try to prompt him he gets very distressed and loses his train of thought. He gets caught up in things that delay us all the time and I don't think he's doing it on purpose but it can be very tricky. A small example- going to visit Gran in the Care home he likes to write in the signing in book but takes ages writing everything out neatly including the car reg- and if someone is waiting behind him doesn't seem to make a difference, if I try to hurry him just makes him more stressed. Similarly on the way out, four digit number to enter into the keypad which is timed, keeps entering it too slowly and it times out, stressful if people are behind him. His work is perfect at school but teacher complains work is often unfinished or that he is generally the last to finish. Last out of the classroom - takes him ages to gather his things, last out of the changing rooms at swimming. Grateful for any advice!

Is the dt teacher also the SENCo? That's who you need to speak to - arrange a meeting to discuss. There's a range of tests that can be done- phonological processing, visual processing, auditory working memory span, auditory processing, orthographic processing, reading speed, comprehension speed to name a few.
Ask about the recommendations that will be given to staff after this testing- eg: she's not to be expected to copy from the board, but instead have her own desk top copy and time to read and asimilate the information, given prior warning of the question she will be asked in class so she can think about it and prepare what to say etc.

You jump away @thecrispfiend! Absolutely not a problem.

Thank you @notnorman that's really helpful. Appreciate that very much. Can I ask - how is this formally diagnosed (you can tell I'm a nurse 😂!)? Is it a combination of testing etc?!
Honestly is this a bad thing for her future?!? She desperately wants to be a vet - absolutely no parental pressure (I've never mentioned I think she's a bit mad 😂!) but I'd hate for her to be upset.

You’re shooting the messenger here because no one wants to hear there might be something ‘wrong’ with their child. It’s a good thing that this teacher has both spotted a potential issue and bothered to do something about it,

Bright kids can absolutely have slow processing speed but it can be masked by their general intelligence and by working harder than everyone else. We had a kid who got all A*s at GCSE who was tested in sixth form and found to have it. They qualified for extra time in exams and went on to get top grades at A-level too, because of the extra time.

It’s not a failing on your part as a parent to have not spotted anything. It’s also fine for the teacher to have referred your child without telling you - presumably the Inclusion dept will inform you further down the line.

Deep breaths, this is all fine! She may also be tested and not have any issues anyway!

Yep completely agree @noblegiraffe. I'm breathing, don't worry. I know teacher in question is a little strict and DD never particularly warmed to her, but I've liked her when I met her. God forbid I make a teachers life any harder - we're not in the same industry but teachers and nurses are somewhat akin.
Thank you for that!

I was diagnosed with slow processing disorder earlier this year. Like others have mentioned, I was bright in school and now work as a medical doctor.

Slow processing disorder has nothing to do with your intelligence. It simply means you take longer to absorb and process information than the general population. You need extra time to think through things, and shouldn't be put on the spot.

It is good your Dd's school has picked up on this early. It means she'll be given extra support to thrive.

@thebrowncurlycrown thank you. Do they know what causes it? Is it developmental or genetic or somethings else?

Yes, it can be many causes.

You should be thanking the teacher.
Most state schools don't have the funds to screen all the pupils.
As a pp mentioned intelligence can mask slow processing.
School can now screen and either all is OK, or they find a slowness which could result in extra time in exams so she can really show what she knows.
Win win.

Don't worry @TeenToTwenties I appreciate very much the attention and care of the teachers.

School will need to have a specially qualified person to come in and do psychometric testing with her. There might be someone qualified in school, but likely not, it's most likely to be a dyslexia assessor, psychologist or specialist teacher they pay privately to come in and do the tests. Tests include CTOPP-2, WIATT-3, TOMAL-2.

Just to add that there's auditory processing disorder - where you need a longer time to sort out the verbal instructions. It sounds like this might be what she's referring to?

You can't test for that in school though- that would be a referral to specialist in a hospital setting. I would be surprised if a teacher had picked up on this (unless they were the senco too)

My 15 year old ds is dyslexic and is like this too but not heard of that diagnosis. He's been given extra time in his exams but nothing else has been said about it. He finds course work much easier than exams and struggles with revision.

My husband has slow processing disorder. He finds it really hard to read and often has to read things over and over in order for it to 'click'. He can literally read the words out just fine, but the meaning of the sentence takes time to be processed. Sometimes I'll show him a joke/meme on my phone and it'll take him a lot longer to realise the joke.

He was able to have extra time in exams at school and university, and really thrives on more process based tasks. His job at the moment is quite structured so he is able to do it well, but it took him a bit of extra time to 'get' it.

He doesn't enjoy reading and would rather listen to an audiobook or podcast. Writing essays was a nightmare for him. He's much more hands on/practical. He'll often watch instagram reels for recipes rather than read an actual recipe as he can process images quicker than words.

Look into working memory component of dyslexia, specific language processing difficulties and dyspraxia. The teacher is trying to help albeit clumsily but there’s much more to processing issues than most people are aware. Lots of supports that can help and considerations when calculating exam results. It’s also something that can affect ADHD pupils too but more due to fight, flight, freeze and pressure of demands.

My son's nursery told me that they suspected slow processing issues (they didn't use the word disorder) which took me completely by surprise, just like you, but when I thought about it I could think of examples at home too, just not as much as at nursery because at home he doesn't have the extra distractions of all the other children and I was used to repeating myself so often I didn't realise I was doing it.
Its good if its been spotted (if indeed she has it) because they can put measures into place to help her achieve her full potential. My son's nursery immediately sorted out extra support for him and OT sessions.

My DS was diagnosed with slow processing around the same time as his autism and ADHD diagnoses. It's hard going for him, and sadly, his GCSE results suffered. He did get extra time and a quiet space for exams, but those can only get you so far.

Revision advice called for small, steady increments of study which I supported him with in the run up to exams. But there never seemed to be enough time to go through it all in time.

Diagnosis would usually be from an educational psychologist. The school are highly unlikely to provide this but are likely to put her through a basic screening assessment that will allow then to give her extra time in exams. If you can fund it then I would get a full EP assessment.