Can you improve processing speed

Children with poor handwriting or dysgraphia may struggle with this task. Symbol Search has less emphasis on motor output but requires rapid differentiation of abstract symbols. Cancellation, the supplemental Processing Speed subtest, makes use of concrete images rather than symbols. Tests of educational achievements make use of processing speed on subtests that measure academic fluency. For example, the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement include three subtests of fluency:. Working memory problems would likely have a greater impact on Math Fluency than on the other fluency tasks.

Slow processing speed is not a learning disorder. To be considered to have a learning disorder, a student must have the following:. However, research has shown that processing speed is linked to reading development and reading performance. Specifically, processing speed may be a factor in these situations:.

Slow Processing Speed Associated with Emotional Interference In addition to cognitive and attentional variables, a number of emotional factors can increase how much time it takes for students to complete work.

When students are anxious, their processing speed can slow due to self-doubt, uncertainty, second-guessing, and self-consciousness. Obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD can cause even more slowing.

Here are some examples of how children with OCD might behave in this context:. How to Address Slow Processing Speed After a thorough psychological and educational evaluation, a plan can be developed to reduce the impact of slow processing speed.

Intervention strategies fall into three categories: school-based, home-based, and child-based. Students without formal learning disorders, but who are having trouble learning due to ADHD, may receive services under Section of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Schools may also provide services before determining formal eligibility through Response to Intervention RtI. Teachers should be aware of how slow processing speed can affect the performance of bright students and strive to differentiate their instruction. Gifted students with slow work pace should not be denied gifted education opportunities.

To the right are examples of interventions that can address them. Because students with slow processing speed often have major problems with homework, parents should work with the teacher to determine how much time the student should spend on each homework assignment and what to do if the time is exceeded.

The goal is to avoid homework battles. If handwriting interferes with work pace, some of the school-based suggestions in the table can be implemented at home. Parents should avoid personalizing, punishing, and reacting emotionally, remembering that slow processing speed is not purposeful and can improve. Parents can help by providing more structure, using schedules, timers, clocks, alarms, and incentives.

With older children, it can pay to involve them in the problem-solving process. It may help to remind them that all people have strengths and weaknesses and that having a slower pace does not mean one is not smart.

One student loved that I referred to him as an intellectual tank — not very fast, but extremely powerful. Some students make good use of timers and alarms to help them track time. A teenager I worked with began using an alarm clock in the bathroom to remind him to get out of the shower. It can also help to conduct a time study. Parents can use a stopwatch to determine how much time it takes the child to complete routine tasks like doing a chore or getting dressed for school.

These times can be used as goals to work toward and rewards can be provided when the student completes a task within the allotted time. Conclusion When they go unrecognized and their needs go unaddressed, gifted students with a slower pace can feel discouraged and demoralized. Steven Butnik, Ph. And since nearly all kids get faster as they get older, a grade-schooler with slow processing speed will be faster in middle school.

But he will likely still have slower processing speed than his peers. As traits go, processing speed is a bit like height. But some kids do have these kinds of growth spurts. So what can parents do other than wait and let nature take its course? Here are a few ways you can help your child increase processing speed:. Practice a specific skill. Research shows that repeating a task makes it become more automatic—and thus quicker to process.

This applies to everything from brushing your teeth to learning multiplication tables. The more you do a task, the faster you get at it. Help your child be more efficient.

Look for strategies that can make your child become more efficient. You can do this with nearly any task.

The same goes for repeating a lesson until it can be understood. Computers are great tools in this respect, as an activity can be taken as many times as the child needs to master the material. This is particularly helpful when it comes to learning spelling and sight words and is one reason why the Touch-type Read and Spell course has proven so effective for learners with processing difficulties. Trying to juggle multiple pieces of information in their head can greatly overwhelm the child with slow processing speed.

It can cause him or her to quickly become frustrated with a task. Luckily, many problem solving activities at school, particularly where math skills are concerned, lend themselves to working on paper.

When students are completing a worksheet or taking an exam that presents multiple questions on the same page, cover up all but the question being worked on.

The child might to do this with his or her hand or a blank piece of paper that can be moved along as they work. This will make it easier to focus on the information that is being requested and to start a task that can seem overwhelming at first glance.

These children may make more mistakes simply because their brains are already strained by having to process the task at hand. Concentrating and reducing their workload can allow them to invest more time in providing quality work. A child with slow processing speed may not be able to complete the same amount of work as his or her peers. For example, it will take him longer to compose open answer items and mental stamina can give way to frustration if he is expected to generate complex responses.

Many similarities have been observed between dysgraphia, which causes difficulty in handwriting, and slow processing. Kids may struggle with understanding the way a letter is written and the necessary spacing. This can really slow a child down given the amount of tasks they are required to handwrite in elementary school. Using a computer and learning to type automatizes the writing process so ideas are translated into words via muscle memory in the hands.

This reduces the potential distraction caused by the physical act of forming letters. It also gives kids access to spell-checkers. As with children who have ADD and ADHD , it may help to place a child with slow processing speed close to the front of the classroom so they can concentrate their attention and focus on what is being said.

Visual noise in the form of busy bulletin boards should also be avoided if possible. Above all, provide plenty of encouragement and support. It may sound like a given but these kids need patience, understanding and time in order to be successful!

Computers can provide much needed shortcuts for a child who is already exhausted from having to process a task, get started brainstorming ideas, and then organize those ideas into written form. Technology also opens up the possibility of learning through repetition.

The trick is to use a metronome that allows a student to pick their own speed and sound preferences. If you are trying to increase processing speed, then the metronome can be increased slowly over time. In addition, a timer can be used to motivate some learners to stay on task and increase speed of processing. Develop the weak cognitive processing areas that slow down learning. To address any deficit areas of processing, one can do activities to exercise these skills. We offer cognitive based products that address: Visual processing Auditory processing Executive functioning Working memory Teach students efficient ways of completing tasks.

Switching back and forth between assignments, for example, is a very inefficient way to complete homework. Instead, one can teach students the benefits of maintaining their attention on a single task until it is finished.