Does your child struggle to process information quickly? Have you witnessed your child trying to explain what he means only to “talk around” the idea, leaving you to guess what the idea is? He knows what he wants to say, but can’t find the words to say it. Your child may have a verbal processing speed issue. Verbal fluency is
» Read moreDear Melissa, My daughter is in 9th grade and has low working memory and slow processing speed. We discovered in 4th grade that she may have a Central Auditory Processing disorder. I would appreciate any ideas you have that can help her with working memory. Are there some strategies and interventions I can help her with? Thank you very much.
» Read moreI love my son and I want to make sure that he has everything he needs to succeed in school and in life. Last year I had to work hard to get an IEP for him due to articulation problems. Part of the testing included the WISC IV which revealed that his Processing Speed and Working Memory are significantly lower than
» Read moreUnderstanding students educational needs and will help teachers create productive classroom accommodations. There are many types of learning challenges and each type requires different classroom accommodation. Some of the most common learning issues are auditory processing (which impacts reading and spelling), visual-motor integration (which impacts processing speed and writing), and ADHD (which impacts attentions and focus). Creating a supportive environment can help
» Read more“I can’t do it! It’s wrong!” Nicole announces loudly. Tears are followed by the declaration that the book is wrong. Nicole is adamant that this is not the way the teacher showed her how to do the problem. Nicole has weak flexible thinking skills that lead to frustration when she faces unexpected events. Nicole resists trying alternate approaches to solve problems. To discover Nicole’s learning style
» Read moreBright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up by Ellen Braaten, Ph.D. and Brian Willoughby, Ph.D. (2014) is the first book I have found that gives both an overview of processing speed and advice to help parents and schools provide intervention. The authors have done a great job of explaining a very complex issue. Here are excerpts from the book that I
» Read moreWorking memory skills are used for all learning tasks. A child with weak working memory skills has to work harder than other students to keep information in mind, as rather than being able to both hold and process the information, the child is working hard just to hold the information. Many students with weak working memory skills lose new
» Read moreBryce wants to be like his friend who is excellent at soccer, can memorize anything quickly and always has a witty comment to share. So he asked me to explain how his brain works and what he can do to be more like his friend. We discussed his strengths and weaknesses and how they affect his processing of information.
» Read moreMany parents have written to me in response to my post about the Frustration Profile: High Verbal Skills with Low Processing Speed. That article was written four years ago and remains my top post. Many students with the Frustration Profile have difficulty with their writing assignments. Here is a sample of one of our executive functioning/processing speed/writing sessions. These are
» Read moreSlow processing speed can be due to more than just weak motor skills. Sarah’s experience highlights some of the more complex factors that should be considered for a child with slow processing speed. Sarah is a diligent, athletic and caring 15-year-old girl. Sarah has always done well in school, but not without support. When Sarah entered ninth grade at her
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