Query slow processing speed

[KTK9]

My dd is nearly 8 and for a while now, I have noticed that she can be extremely slow to do tasks, get herself organised etc. This isn't a new thing, but started in YR, when she just didn't 'get' reading. After going on a short remedial reading scheme she caught up with her peers and there were no underlying reasons she hadn't learnt to read.

Her writing is neatish, but very very slow, she will only write a few lines, when others have written nearly a page, she is also slow with her sums, the teacher will often give us work to complete at home, because she has only done three or four sums at school and the others will have finished. She can do them, but takes an age to read them and process the information, getting distracted and figity.

A friend is a specialist teacher and during the holidays we went to visit, she gave dd a game to play on her Ipad that was around that actually gave various results from the games like - Visual Memory, Auditory Memory and others, all came out to be high or average, but Processing Speed was slow. My friend said to keep an eye on it and maybe mention to the teacher - which I will do at our next parents evening.

However, I wonder if anyone has any other experience of this and whether there are any exercises, games etc., that may be able to help, I don't want to pester my friend and to be honest the children she works with are much older.

I don't think there is any ADD or ADHD or similar, although she does sometimes have a slight phonic tic, which has just come back after the holidays, when it wasn't present.

I just feel something isn't quite right, but haven't a clue where I go from here?

Thanks for reading

Bump...really interested in a response too....all the best KTK9 x

I'm responding from my own experience, having just had dd diagnosed with dyslexia. My dd is also very strong in auditory and visual memory, and very weak in terms of processing speed and working memory - which leads to all the difficulties you mention for your dd. Have you had her tested for dyslexia?

KT, was going to say the same as tigrou, as my DS is recently diagnosed as dyslexic and it's the processing speed/ working memory which spikes downwards with him too. He can read well and is in top sets at school, but his writing/ spelling are far from good.

KTK9

I can see you're concerned. I'm just a Mum, but if you feel they are caring at your school, I'd strongly urge you to go and talk to your DDs teacher. It may be what appears slow to you, is within normal range but if not it is worth indicating there may be a problem to her teacher, so that they can be made aware of the issue and better support your DD.

HTH.

Just a slight niggle from me, but my son's dyslexia was missed for a while as he was within the normal range, so for example his spelling ability was of an average 7 year old and he was just 8. The teacher who spotted it in his case was dyslexic herself and said she'd realised talking to him that his verbal and cognitive skills were way above his ability to write it all down. That combined with letter reversals and a few other things meant she pushed us to get him tested. In other words, average doesn't always mean there's not a baseline problem. I'm not at all saying your dd is dyslexic, but it's easy to miss if she's doing okay.

Thank you all so much for replying and 123 for bumping - I thought this thread was lost!!!

I did wonder about dyslexia myself, but my friend (who deals with dyslexic secondary children), didn't seem to think there were any real signs at this stage, but I may ask for a formal assessment.

Smee - As with your son, dd's reading is very good now, her writing is slow, but tonight she did a lovely piece of writing, joined up and mostly spelt right - Houses spelt housis and Colour spelt colure, but almost a full A4 page, which quite amazed me. Ironic that I write this and then she produces this work!! It took her around half an hour, but she didn't want to stop as was really enjoying it - writing about the Celts!!! She sounds very like you son though.

Past sell by, you are quite right, I need to speak to her teacher, obviously it is early days in the year group, but the school (an Independent), are actually excellent and provide a lot of support if needed. Maybe it is normal at this age, she is an only child, so don't really have anything to compare to.

I just find myself getting so frustrated with her - maybe I expect too much.

I'm in the same boat as you KTK9 and have an only child.

My DD (8) spends three hours writing five sentences, spellings are appalling, but is able to do a page of sums in 10 seconds.

My DD seems not to be able to organise herself, or spot patterns when given lists of spellings: plank tank sank come out as variously spelled - she doesn't 'get' that there's an 'ank' in all of them. She just doesn't see it.

Her reading is robotic and only now is getting to minor fluency - she puts in letters and leaves out words - she says the words move.

My DD finds it impossible to work when children are talking around her: she can't concentrate at all, and does no work in her noisy classroom.

What do you think?
Any advice for me ladies?

totally - I feel your pain, although dd reads with great expression, partly I think because I read with expression and different voice [theatre trained!], however, she will put in extra words or leave them out.

We chuckled to ourselves last night as she read a book and said ' he fell lifeless onto the floor', when it should be ' he nearly fell, lifeless onto the floor', or something like it, but there was a big difference to the context of the story with it being dead or not! Luckily dd could see the funny side of it too. Maybe it is normal for this age to add bits and miss bits, as they are becoming more fluent and starting to read ahead and 'presuming' what is there? After all a lot of the early books are very predictable.

Re. the words moving, this could be the case, I have read stuff on here about children having problems tracking, I am sure if you do a search you may find more information. My friend is a great believer in using different coloured gels, which can help with reading and making words clearer, her son has one, but I am afraid I don't know the ins and outs of it all.

I really could do with some strategies or games to help improve things. I have used time - saying that she needs to finish something, or we need to go by the time it is 6.00 etc., that marginally helps. Also reducing the amount of things I ask her to do at one time. i.e. put you shoes on and brush your teeth, rather than put your shoes on, brush your teeth and find your cardigan......

At school, I have suggested she does 5 or 10 sums/lines, without looking up to see what is going on around her, then she can have a short break, look up etc., before starting the next lot.

Is your house a quiet one?, one of my theories is that dd just hasn't got used to background noise around her. DD is an only child, the TV isn't on a great deal and whenever we do an activity, we tend to turn the TV off. I always noticed as a toddler, friends seemed to have the TV on most of the time and she would be so distracted by it, yet their children would just ignore it and carry on playing etc.

I am actually a dog trainer and if I was teaching a dog something, I would do it without distractions, then gradually increase them or go to a different area and train with slightly more environmental stimulus!! Maybe I should do something like have the radio on low, but not the TV for dd as a starter!! {just thinking out loud}.

Just nipping in again, but the whole visual stress thing is interesting. DS was blown away when we put a green over-lay over text. I had no idea he was having problems with words moving, etc.

Go to a stationery shop and buy a pack of coloured file pockets. That's what we did. Bit crude, but see which if any colours help. If any do, definitely worth following up via a specialised optician.

Thanks K9 and smee.

my DD was given a yellow overlay in school, but it didn't make that much difference- I'll try the other colours, great tip with the folders smee, ta.

We have a very quiet house - no TV at all (we don't have one!), and only classical music playing in my office (no music for DH, he can't stand it) - no overhead or glaring lights: I can't stand them...... the apple doesn't fall far from the tree I think.
As a baby DD used to wake up if the little birds started to chirp outside her window... hummm....
I always feel assaulted by noise and lights, and so many people on the underground for eg..... just hypersensitive I think.

food for thought, thanks again