Reddit is the place where people come together to have the most authentic and interesting conversations on the internet—Where gaming communities, nostalgic internet forums, bloggers, meme-makers, and fandoms mingle alongside video streamers, support groups, news junkies, armchair experts, seasoned professionals, and artists and creators of all types. Show With over 100,000 communities about every topic you could think of (and a few you’d probably never think of if it wasn’t for the creativity of strangers on the internet), Reddit is the place where you can dive into anything and connect with people on any topic. A few things you’ll find on Reddit… ■ Thousands of communities Reddit Premium: Payment will be charged on a recurring monthly or annual basis to your Google Play account. Your monthly or annual Premium subscription will automatically renew unless you cancel at least 24 hours before your subscription ends. Cancel anytime in your device’s Account Settings. No partial refunds. Privacy Policy: https://www.redditinc.com/policies/privacy-policy Download the official Reddit app today. In this article, Steven M. Butnik takes a look at a number of options regarding slow processing speed. It’s not unusual for gifted students to have slow processing speed. Of itself, slow processing speed is not a formal learning disability, but having it can frustrate students, teachers, and parents. As a clinical child psychologist specializing in assessing and treating students with attention deficit disorders and other learning problems, I often hear parents tell me their very bright child isn’t finishing her classwork or that homework takes hours and hours to complete. Through observation or formal assessment of their child, these parents have been told that the child has slow processing speed. Understanding the role of slow processing speed is essential. Gifted students with processing speed problems who are “missed,” misdiagnosed, or mis-taught may become discouraged, depressed, undereducated, underemployed, or worse. By contrast, when these twice-exceptional (2e) children are understood and well-addressed educationally, they can become treasures who shine in unique ways. In this article I will explain what sort of struggles children with slow processing speed experience; where slow processing speed comes from; how it can be identified; and what students, teachers, and parents can do to reduce or eliminate its impact. The Signs of Slow Processing Speed Understanding the source of the problem in children like these is a critical part of knowing how to help them. Thorough medical and psychoeducational evaluations are necessary because there are many sources of slow work pace. It can be associated with physical illness or injury such as low thyroid, epilepsy, or traumatic brain injury. It might be related to other physical problems such as lack of adequate sleep or reaction to medications. It might also be part of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disorders, and/or emotional factors. We’ll take a look at some of these possible causes. Slow Processing Speed Associated with
ADHD In addition, children with ADHD typically exhibit poor executive functions, brain-based behaviors that contribute to effective functioning. A useful model of executive functions (See the figure below.) has been developed by Thomas Brown, Ph.D., a psychologist at Yale University. These are the functions, according to Brown, that are impaired in attention deficit disorder syndrome. Some children take more time to complete tasks due to trouble with activation. A student may not begin a task due to problems organizing time or materials, or due to reluctance, uncertainty, lack of confidence, or anxiety. Other children may take more time to complete tasks because of problems maintaining focus. While time is passing, these students may be distracted or daydreaming, drawn to other, more interesting stimuli. Effort includes processing speed as well as mental stamina. When effort is a problem, the child’s work pace is very slow and he may complain that his “brain is very tired.” When the problem is emotional, on the other hand, children find it hard to regulate their feelings. They might melt down when starting to work or encountering a frustrating task; or they may refuse to work, be argumentative, or have tantrums. Problems in working memory can add to the time it takes a child to complete tasks. After reading a paragraph, a child with poor working memory may forget what she just read and need to read it again; or he may stop working on a class assignment because he forgot the directions. Finally, when action is a problem, the child has trouble sitting still, fidgets with objects, or may want to stand or walk around when working. An additional issue that children with ADHD face is having a poor sense of time. For them, time seems to go more slowly during the tasks they feel are boring while moving more quickly for tasks they find interesting. When planning work tasks, a child with ADHD may underestimate how long the task will take; and when playing, the child may be unaware of how much time has passed. Taken together, poor executive functions and poor time sense can make homework take hours to complete and create major stress. Slow Processing Speed Associated with Cognitive Functioning and Learning Problems Many 2e children show substantial differences between their verbal abilities and working memory capacity and/or between their nonverbal abilities and processing speed. Working memory and processing speed scores are often low in 2e children. The WISC-IV’s Processing Speed Index is calculated from the Coding and Symbol Search subtest scores. A supplemental subtest is Cancellation. These three subtests, described in the next paragraph, rely on rapid visual/motor analysis and output. Because processing speed can be affected by a number of factors, it is not a unified construct like other parts of the WISC-IV. See the figure below. Each of these three subtests taps different abilities that contribute to the Processing Speed score. Coding, which requires children to draw symbols, is heavily influenced by grapho-motor demands. 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:
2e children who have trouble activating, are inattentive, or have sluggish cognitive tempo may struggle on all of these tasks. 2e children with slow motor output would have less trouble on Reading Fluency but would do more poorly on the Math and Writing Fluency tests. 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 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 School-based Strategies Regardless of the category of services for which the gifted student qualifies, it’s important to prevent slow processing from interfering with a child’s success. 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 provide suitable interventions, a teacher or school needs to determine the source of the problems and tailor interventions to the individual student’s needs. To the right are examples of interventions that can address them. Other school accommodations or modifications may include:
Home-based Strategies 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. Children with ADHD may benefit from stimulant medications such as Ritalin, Concerta, Adderall, or Vyvanse. This type of medication may not directly increase actual processing speed but can often help with activation and focus, increasing a child’s work pace. Once a child is properly diagnosed, parents can explore the medication option with their child’s pediatrician or medical specialist. It’s also important for parents to monitor and address any sleep problems that may occur and to encourage sound nutrition as well as frequent, vigorous exercise. Child-based Strategies 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 Steven Butnik, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and co-director of ADDVANTAGE, PLLC in Richmond, Virginia, a private practice dedicated to evaluating individuals with attention problems and other learning problems. In addition, he is trained to perform quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) and neurofeedback as well as to offer an evidenced-based training program to improve working memory in individuals with ADHD. Dr. Butnik has written and spoken about various ADHD and learning issues, served as a consultant for a University of Virginia study investigating the roles of multiple ADHD assessment instruments, and was appointed as a reviewer/consultant for the Journal of Attention Disorders in 2008. If you’re interested in receiving parenting support for your gifted child, our Young Scholars program offers a wealth of resources, professionals, and parent-to-parent connections to help you navigate raising a profoundly gifted/twice-exceptional child. Apply today. Permission Statement This article is reprinted with permission from the 2e Newsletter and the author. This article is provided as a service of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting profoundly gifted young people 18 and under. To learn more about the Davidson Institute’s programs, please visit www.DavidsonGifted.org. Disclaimer: The appearance of any information in the Davidson Institute’s Resource Library does not imply an endorsement by, or any affiliation with, the Davidson Institute. All information presented is for informational and archival purposes only. The Davidson Institute bears no responsibility for the content of republished material. Please note the date, author, and publisher information available if you wish to make further inquiries about any republished materials in our Resource Library. Why can't I process information fast?It might be related to other physical problems such as lack of adequate sleep or reaction to medications. It might also be part of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disorders, and/or emotional factors. We'll take a look at some of these possible causes.
How do I think faster Reddit?Do Improv if you want to be fast on your feet.. Join a Debate club to hone your argumentation skills.. If you want to be a deep thinker you need to read a lot. ... . Write a list of 10 ideas per day to supercharge your creativity muscle.. Learn about Critical thinking, Cognitive Biases, etc.. Why am I slow to get things done?One of the reasons you may process information slowly is because you have a hard time getting started possibly because you: don't know where to start. are unsure how to create the necessary steps. don't want to do the task and so are resisting starting.
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