Does your child have slow processing speed? If your child consistently struggles doing tasks in a timely manner—whether that’s getting her shoes and coat on to leave for school, fill in a homework sheet, take a timed math test—he or she likely has challenges relating to processing speed. Slow processing speed affects many differently wired children, and can often be found co-existing with neurological differences like ADHD, giftedness, anxiety, and more. What makes it so difficult for kids to manage and parents and teachers to understand is that there is often a marked disconnect between a child’s intellectual capability and the pace at which they execute certain tasks.

Dr. Ellen Braaten is an expert on processing speed issues in kids, and is the author of When Bright Kids Can’t Keep Up, which came out in 2014. In this episode, Ellen explains to us exactly what slow processing speed is, describes how it shows up in kids, and gives her insights on how parents (and teachers) can best support kids for whom this is a challenge.

Ellen Braaten, PhD is associate director of The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital, director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) at Mass General, and an assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. She received her MA in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado, and her PhD in psychology from Colorado State University.

 Things you’ll learn from this episode:

• What slow processing speed is and how it presents in children
• At what age slow processing speed is typically recognized and why getting a diagnosis is beneficial
• The correlation between slow processing speed and other neurological differences such as ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, etc.
• The importance of treating the underlying issue / primary diagnosis
• How parents can support a child with slow processing speed issues, including the three A’s: Accept, Accommodate, and Advocate
• How to make a strong case for accommodations and services in school for a child with slow processing speed

Resources mentioned about slow processing speed:

• Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up: Help Your Child Overcome Slow Processing Speed and Keep Up in a Fast-Paced World by Dr. Ellen Braaten
• The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds
• The Learning and Emotional Assessment Program at Mass General
• Understood
• Slow Processing Speed and Anxiety: What You Need to Know (article from Understood)

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