Slow processing

[clutchingon]

My child (11) has slow processing comparable to the rest of their iq scores (which were all vv high) but still in the normal range (just). The Ed psych didn't really give any helpful strategies and I wondered if anyone else had a child like this and how they have been able to help them. I see my dc getting more and more frustrated. Can the processing speed be improved?

I've just been diagnosed with this myself! Still waiting on the Ed Psych report - but I did manage to get through a degree and post-grad qualification before being diagnosed.

I just assumed it was normal to feel like you were reading through incomprehensible treacle when trying to read a textbook and learnt to mind map the living daylights out of anything I read! (Like your child - I've got a very very high IQ so had slipped through the net - only flagged myself up for an initial university screen for my second degree as I've got a child with some SEN and thought I might have similar)

If I get any useful suggestions for myself I'll pass them on (but obviously not all doom and gloom as I did one degree at a v good uni regardless while undiagnosed)

Yes. My daughters working memory is on the 99th percentile apparently. So I suspect she uses that to compensate. All of the teachers looked at me as though I had two heads when I said I wanted to get her assessed as she was performing highly in her class but it always seemed to me that something was missing for her and she rarely performed as highly as I would have expected her to under pressure.

She's currently struggling in maths as the class moves to fast for her. I'm hopeful she'll get put in a lower set and that will give her the time she needs to reach her potential.

Her score on assessment was too high so she won't qualify for extra time but I think you are def under a disadvantage if parts of your brain are running super fast and then a different bit is slower.

Oddly enough I was just about to post about this. My DD's educational psychology report is just back. Her processing and pseudoword recognition are in the 2nd centile. Everything else is pretty much average, including her IQ. Shes 14 and in year 9,but has recently been complaining of not being able to scan text for words , copy from the whiteboard and keep up in class. He recommended that she got 25% extra time in exams. We've also had significant issues with anxiety recently which unfortunately included self harm for a while. She was referred to CAMHs who assessed her for ASD, but they said she did not meet the diagnosis criteria but had autistic traits. I wonder if this is all linked? Ita so frustrating as I feels it's really starting to effect DD, but there doesn't seem to be much help available.

Did they recommend that she get a laptop for making notes. I've seen that suggested. There is a book on Amazon about the child with slow processing that I think I'm going to get.

No, they didn't as her reading and writing speed is both in the 98th centile.

She sounds like she has something similar to my dd then. She shouldn't be coming out as an average iq if part is 98 (extremely high) and part 2 (extremely low). It's all so frustrating and I'm sure there must be more available to help our children.

Most of the components for the IQ score were average (verbal and fluid reasoning and working memory ). She was above average for visual spatial reasons but in the extremely low range for processing speed. I an surprised he made any conclusions on her IQ based on her 'spikey' profile , but I would say average would be about right. She does ok at school, but I wouldn't say any more than that and generally has to work hard. What is weird is that her pseudword decoding was also very low. I would have thought this indicated dyslexia ,but he seems to suggest it's due to slow processing as they cant access 'semantic cues' and 'sight words'. I don't quite get that as how then is her reading speed in the 98th centile? I guess I'll have to ask him.

My son is the same bright but slow I'm not sure if the school know what to do with him

Same as my dd. Hers is predominantly a visual processing issue and properly assessed coloured lenses made a big difference, she also uses a lap top as although her writing is ok, she finds it much harder to put her thoughts coherently on paper written than typed, we make sure work is chunked for her.so she doesn't have too many instructions to follow and the teacher checks back in with her to make sure she following. She has a white board to mind map on to keep her brain 'flowing'. The other massive help was to take the pressure off - despite being highly.able and academic she cannot produce the volume of written work the other children can so she no longer gets told off for what she hadn't done or kept in for not finishing work, although she will often choose to stay and finish it, and gets praised for what she has done. This massively boosted her confidence and almost unlocked frozen bits of her brain. She is now yr5 and exceeding expectations in all areas in yr 2 she was barely hitting expected..

I posted about my ds's visual processing disorder in 'secondary education' but now that the full report is back, I think we're definitely into SEN territory.

DS's (aged 10, Y6) working memory is also on the 99 percentile as is his pseudoword decoding and a few other things regarding reading.

His processing speed is on the 1st, and his visual processing scores are also in the very low range ie below 80.

The ed psyche has made some recommendation eg use of a laptop, extra time in SATS/public exams/not having to copy off the board etc.

Also that he be seen by a behavioural optometrist - we have an apt in early January.

Didiplanthis that's interesting what you say about taking the pressure off immensely helping your daughter. My ds gets incredibly frustrated with being told that he needs to 'write more' or 'work faster'.

I know that it's because he's 'bright' and they 'want him to do well', but he can't write more or work faster any more than a child with dyslexia can suddenly decide to become a perfect speller, and I really need to get this over to the school.