My grandson works for hours with a tutor and yet he doesn’t always finish his homework. His grades have improved, but his efficiency is still lacking. He writes in his planner, but often can’t manage to get all the directions recorded.[1] Sound familiar? If you are the educator or parent of an ADHD-afflicted student, then it probably does. These difficulties arise as a byproduct of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. The specific issue is having a slow processing speed.

In brief, slow processing speed often attends ADHD and can cause problems with work completion. Pinpointing possible deficient skills (for example, lack of focus, poor listening, substandard notetaking, etc.) as well as where the breakdown occurs in the work cycle, can help you devise a plan of action to help.

Not Limited to ADHD

It should be clearly stated at the outset that this obstacle is not limited to ADHD. It also surfaces in teens and children with other sorts of learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia), developmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder), psychological issues (such as anxiety, bi-polarity, depression, etc.), or psychosocial stressors (like divorce or the death of a parent). Perhaps more surprisingly, it is not unusual to find this problem in so-called “gifted” students.[2]

What Is ‘Processing Speed’?

“Processing speed” is defined in terms of the amount of time it takes a student to receive information,[3] transform it in some way, and then – so to speak – spit it back out.[4] Thought of in this broad way, “processing” involves the following three functions.[5]

1. “Taking in” information – for example, through perception via the five senses (but, most frequently, through hearing or vision). To some degree, this data-reception can be assessed and tracked.
2. “Thinking about” the information – and making sense of it. This step is something of a “black box” in that it involves internal “computations” that are inscrutable from the standpoint of observers.
3. Forming some response – usually as a spoken utterance or a written text. As with step 1, this step can be measured, timed, or otherwise quantified fairly well.

The overall “speed” is derived from the time it takes to proceed from step 1 to step 3. When there is a struggle with any of these functions, it constitutes a processing speed problem because it causes a delay in the relevant progression through the steps.

Why Might Slow Processing Speed Be Suspected?

Behaviors and Things to Watch

Characteristic slowness. As the name suggests, the hallmark of this processing-speed problem is that some tasks might be performed comparatively slowly, such as:

• Completing assignments and other work
• Note-taking (which may be end up being incomplete)
• Reading and writing
• Responding to requests and questions

Comparative difficulties. Compared to an unaffected student, an affected person may also manifest difficulty:

• Answering questions
• Completing timed tests and long-term assignments
• Comprehending lectures and presentations
• Finishing homework or projects (especially in a “normal” amount of time)
• Following complicated instructions
• Following long or involved conversations
• Listening and writing at the same time
• Making decisions
• Managing tasks and time
• Participating in conversations or discussions
• Recalling or remembering facts
• Waking or getting ready in the morning

Psycho-behavioral factors. There may also be certain behavioral or psychological indicators, for example:

• Appearing apathetic or unmotivated
• Becoming agitated when experiencing information overload
• Experiencing information overload regularly
• Feeling easily overwhelmed
• “Spacing out” or staring off into space
• Worrying that others will perceive them as lazy or unintelligent

Leaving processing-speed problems unaddressed can lead the student to develop self-esteem issues and it tends to exacerbate motivational difficulties. “Working at [a] slow pace means that the student is putting in too many hours on school work that should be spent playing, reading, socializing, relaxing or exploring other interests.”[6]

How Can Slow Processing Speed Be Detected?

It needs to be stressed that this sort of deficit does not indicate a lack of intelligence. So, it by no means the case that low intelligence quotients (for instance, as gauged by various IQ tests) are the bottom line in terms of testing. Low “IQs” are neither necessary nor sufficient for processing-speed problems.

That said, however, processing-speed difficulties can interfere with other cognitive functions, because they negatively impact a person’s ability to form quick answers, retrieve (or store) long-term memories, and remember what was to be done with the information.

Moreover, although slow processing speed is not a disability per se, psychologists and psychoeducational counselors can often identify it. To ascertain that this is the problem (as opposed to any of several other possible difficulties, some of which were listed in paragraph three) children should be evaluated.

Among other tools, the following tests can sometimes be used for such assessments, because they have subsets that evaluate academic fluency, processing speed, or other relevant metrics.[7]

Clinical Assessments

• The Differential Ability Scales, version 2 (DAS-II)[8]
• The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, version 2 (KABC-II)[9]
• The developmental Neuro-Psychological Assessment, version 2 (Nepsy-II)[10]
• The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, version 5 (WISC-V)[11]
• The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, version 3 (WIAT-III)
• The Woodcock-Johnson (intelligence tests), version 3 (WJ-III)[12]

Strategies to Help

Medical Condition?

Before moving toward psychoeducational or psychological solutions, be sure to rule out biological, physiological, or neurological causes. Have the child evaluated to see if there is a more serious underlying issue precipitating – or aggravating – the processing-speed problem.[13]

Check eyesight. Vision problems come in myriad forms and can negatively affect acuity, clarity, coordination, focus (mechanical), perception, “tracking” (i.e., being able to follow a moving object – or properly and systematically scan a written document), and writing. In some cases, eye problems can mimic ADHD symptoms. For example, children and young adults experiencing visual difficulties might refrain from reading or doing homework because they have double vision, eyestrain, or headaches. They may easily lose their places while reading or otherwise seem to lack attentiveness. And so on.

Check hearing. Similarly, hearing problems – including damage, diseases, and other infections – can manifest in auditory-processing, attention, comprehension, and emotional difficulties.

Check mental health. Does your child seem anxious, listless, depressed, etc.? It is beyond the scope of this article to give advice on how to broach these issues. But you could carefully inquire as to whether the student has feelings of depression or anxiety.

Overlap With ‘Executive Function’

Although processing speed is not itself an “executive function,” it can affect executive functioning. Some experts feel that another underlying cause could be an executive function impairment. Problems in this area are believed to be at the root of any attention deficit disorder. Executive function skills refer to brain-based skills that work together to help us perform tasks and solve problems.

Executive-function skills are mixed up in this issue of how to treat processing problems. They form part of the necessary superstructure upon which information processing rests. By identifying where dysfunctionality exists, you can plan a course of action.[14]

 

General Information-Processing ‘Skills’ & Supports

• Organization. Arguably, information processing starts off with this. It encompasses organizing, prioritizing and actually starting the assignment.
  • Problems that can arise – A child can’t begin because she has trouble organizing her materials or time. Maybe he is anxious or uncertain about what to do or where to begin.
  • Possible workarounds – Help by assisting the student in finding notes, breaking the assignment into chunks, explaining the directions again, or making a timeline to show what needs to be accomplished – and when.
• Concentration. deals with focusing, sustaining and shifting attention to tasks.
  • Problem – Children/teens – especially ones with ADHD – are often attracted to other stimuli, distracted, daydreaming or otherwise unfocused.
  • Workaround – Help by prompting when they drift, providing white noise, reducing distractions, and recognizing on-task behavior with praise – and also, if only occasionally, by providing rewards after the work has been completed.
• Persistency. Effort is all about regulating alertness while sustaining the effort and processing speed.
  • Problem – Persistency requires many things, not least of which is mental stamina. Children may complain that they have “tired brains” or otherwise grumble if you point out that their paces are slowing down.
  • Workarounds – Help by validating the child’s feelings. Validation is the “recognition and acceptance that your child has feelings and thoughts that are true and real regardless of logic or whether it makes sense to anyone else.”[15] Something else to try might be modeling problem-solving techniques or listing possible solutions. Ask questions such as “What can you do if you don’t understand this?” Keep in mind, also, that students may stall when they have become stuck on certain parts of an assignment or lack the problem-solving skills to move on.
• Self-control. Here, we have in mind the ability to exercise control over one’s emotions. One’s affect is certainly involved in many ways. For instance, how well does a student handle frustration or work through adversity?
  • Problems – Children and teens often find it hard to control their feelings in general. This can result in arguments, “meltdowns,” refusals to work, tantrums, etc.
  • Workarounds – Help by using encouragement and support. It may be necessary to get counseling for the student, or even to utilize pharmaceuticals. Additionally, you may need to provide a little extra help to get homework assignments and projects started.
• Memory. Memory is very important. The working memory is used to access and recall the facts that are needed. And long-term memory stores and safeguards those facts for future use.
  • Problems – Difficulties here cause everything to take more time because a child can forget what he or she just did or read (and so they will have to redo or reread it). Obviously, poor memory is also a common cause of forgotten directions.
  • Workaround – Help by using repetition and gentle reminders along with encouraging their questions and providing templates of completed work, word banks and directions.
• Self-management. Another crucial ability is that of monitoring and self-managing what you do.
  • Problems – Troubles arise when the child has difficulty sitting still, fidgeting with things, or standing and walking around during a work time.[16] This also hearkens back to organizational problems (for more on which, see above).
  • Workaround – Help by scheduling in frequent breaks, having a brisk walk or other exercise before your teen starts the assignment or having them stand while they work and walk around while they study or compose their thoughts.

Separate But Related Issues

• Time Management. Straightforwardly, this refers to how a person manages and uses her time.
  • Problem – Children and teens can have a poor “sense of time” that leads them to: underestimate how long a task may take; overestimate how long a break should; and work in short, ineffectual blocks of time and ultimately accomplish little to nothing.
  • Workaround – Help by making a schedule. There are several scheduling strategies.On the one hand, you could explain that you are going to schedule the harder assignments first, while your student is fresh and has more energy. Beginning with the harder projects could also mean more relaxation time at the end of the day.On the other hand, you could front load smaller, less involved assignments on the idea that quicker tasks are easier to do and finish. This will bolster confidence and possibly improve student morale and motivation.

    Relatedly, encourage them to use their spare time wisely. If they get a ride to school, they could study or finish homework while in the car. Advise students to use study-hall periods for homework and studying. (What a novel idea, right?) Emphasize that it’s not a time to fool around. Many students unfortunately spend large amounts of time doing things that are neither what they would really like to be doing nor what they really ought to be doing. But this is a waste of energy and resources. Reassure students that by clearing their desks of what needs to get finished, they get freed up to do what they really want to do.

• Miscellaneous cognitive difficulties. Identify and address any other cognitive difficulties in reading, math or writing – like dysgraphia (trouble forming letters or numbers), dyslexia (trouble learning to read or interpret words or letters), or dyscalculia (difficulty learning numbers, arithmetic or calculations).
  • Problems – Troubles in cognitive areas predictably add to processing time.
  • Workaround – Help by braking material into smaller chunks, use graphic organizers and help student develop a plan of action. Since it’s hard for kids with dysgraphia to write, they should be allowed to use computers to type or use speech to text software for notes or reports.

Final Words

Slow processing speed can add to the many hurdles that our ADHD-afflicted teens/children have to contend with. Although it in no way defines their intellectual level, or limits potential, it is important to address. We need to help students get a handle on processing difficulties and begin to deal with it. In this fast-paced world, caretakers, educators, and guardians don’t want our children to be left in the dust. So, assisting them to find ways to manage their time and focus their energy becomes an imperative mission for us as parents, grandparents, and teachers.

Notes:

[1] Granted: he’s racing against the clock in the transition times between classes.

[2] “Giftedness” basically refers to above-averageness. This could be in any number of (hopefully measurable)

areas, but often designates some proclivity to excel because of high creativity or intelligence.

[3] This would be akin to input, in computational lingo.

[4] Again, to adopt computational language, we might call this the output.

[5]See Ellen Braaten and Brian Willoughby, Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up: Help Your Child Overcome Slow Processing Speed and Succeed in a Fast-Paced World, New York: Guilford Press 2014.

[6] Jennifer Gonzalez, A Few Strategies to Help Slow-Working Students Cult of Pedagogy March 2016 https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/slow-working-students/

[7] See, e.g., Johnson Randy Kulman, “Could It Be Slow Processing Speed?” ADDitude Inside the ADHD Mind, https://www.additudemag.com/slow-processing-speed-test-evaluation-diagnosis/

[8] San Francisco: Harcourt, 1990. This battery of tests was originally developed by one Colin Elliot in the United Kingdom and was known as the British Ability Scales (BAS).

[9] The test’s authors were Alan and Nadeen Kaufman. The original KABC was released in 1983. The second version superseded the original in 2004.

[10] This battery of tests was developed in the 1990s by Marit Korkman, Ursula Kirk and Sally Kemp and published by Pearson Assessment (London: 1998).

[11] There are other Wechsler tests, such as: the Wechsler Adult IntelligenceScale, Version 4 (WAIS-IV); the Wechsler Nonverbal test (WNV); and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Version 4 (WPPSI-IV).

[12] Created by Richard Woodcock and Mary Bonner, circa 1977.

[13] Children are often generally healthy. Routine ear, eye, and psychological “wellness” evaluations may be sufficient to rule out the possibility of problems. However, in some cases it may be necessary to delve more deeply or to check other things – e.g., brain and neurological health. For example, things like auditory-processing problems and dysgraphia (i.e., an inability to writer correctly) may indicate a more serious condition. Consult your healthcare professional.

[14]Steven Butnik, “Understanding, Diagnosing and Coping with Slow Processing Speed,” 2e Twice Exceptional Newsletter, May 2013, http://www.2enewsletter.com/article_2013_05_slow_processing.html.

[15]Karyn Hall and Melissa Cook, The Power of Validation, Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, 2012, p. 11. https://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Validation-Out-Control/dp/1608820335/.

[16] I’ve included the standing and walking because Dr. Butnik did (loc. cit.). However, I’m not inclined to see this as a problem, unless students are disturbing others or not actually working. I personally walk around my house while I think and compose my writing. I’ve also had students who stand and work in my class. Actually, some research suggests that students think better on their feet. (See, e.g., “We Think Better on our Feet, Literally,” Science Daily, Apr. 24, 2015, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150424121118.htm.) And, disturbingly, recent reports hypothesize that too much sitting can years off your life. (See Jason Koebler, “Study: Excessive Sitting Cuts Life Expectancy by Two Years,” US News & World Report, Jul. 9, 2012, https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/07/09/study-excessive-sitting-cuts-life-expectancy-by-two-years.)