What does a below average processing speed mean?

[Anonymous]

Our 3rd grader was tested at school and while scoring around the 98th percentile for most areas, scored well below average for processing speed, and that was the one area where there was a huge gap. Anyone have any insight as to what this might mean exactly?

[Anonymous]

It means that the child needs more time to take in and consider information. It could be visual or auditory information. So the child may benefit from extended time for tests and assignments. This kind of child can need extra wait time before answering a question. They may know the answer, but it is slow to get it out. It’s important to be sure teachers know that the child is smart, but needs time to think. It’s also important for the child to know that he or she is smart, but his or her brain needs extra time to get the answer out. Being quick with the answer is not the only sign of intelligence.

My child scored lower in this area, but it was due to OCD, because she kept checking her work on timed tasks. She actually processes information very quickly.

[Anonymous]

Can also be indicative of adhd, though not always not do all people with adhd have slow processing speed. Just something to look out for

[Anonymous]

I have a child with a similar profile. I’d recommend Ellen Braaten’s work - Smart Kids Who Can’t Keep Up. Schools are unfortunately designed for speed and not depth of thinking at this point.

[Anonymous]

It doesn’t mean anything in the absence of actual challenges you are seeing. Could be a mistake, or could be correct but nbd. Everyone would have some quirks if we were all subjected to extensive testing.

[Anonymous]

It means it takes the child longer to do something- read, math problem, get ready, hear a verbal comment and turn it around (ie do it).

Even though the child is really really concentrating, it will take a longer time than the average kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t mean anything in the absence of actual challenges you are seeing. Could be a mistake, or could be correct but nbd. Everyone would have some quirks if we were all subjected to extensive testing.

This. Why was your child being tested?

And was the test a WISC? Processing speed is measured on the WISC using two pencil and paper visual scanning tasks. Sometimes kids do poorly because they think and problem solve slowly. Sometimes they write/make marks slowly, or spend a lot of time erasing to make it perfect. Sometimes they don't go as quickly as they can because they are nervous.

The scores can be helpful, but they are not a magical snapshot of your child's brain and abilities. You have to consider the context of the concerns you had or didn't have before testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t mean anything in the absence of actual challenges you are seeing. Could be a mistake, or could be correct but nbd. Everyone would have some quirks if we were all subjected to extensive testing.

This. Why was your child being tested?

And was the test a WISC? Processing speed is measured on the WISC using two pencil and paper visual scanning tasks. Sometimes kids do poorly because they think and problem solve slowly. Sometimes they write/make marks slowly, or spend a lot of time erasing to make it perfect. Sometimes they don't go as quickly as they can because they are nervous.

The scores can be helpful, but they are not a magical snapshot of your child's brain and abilities. You have to consider the context of the concerns you had or didn't have before testing.

+ ask if a GAI score calculation is appropriate if using WISC and getting this result.

[Anonymous]

With my child it translated into his having a lot of frustration in articulating what he know which has resulted in him being silent and withdrawn in school and frustration tantrums with distance learning. He really opens up when he's outdoors and active but has probably spoken maybe a dozen words over the last 6 months of Zoom classrooms.

[Anonymous]

My son with ADHD and suspected HFA has a processing speed in the 4th percentile. Processing speed is often impacted in inattentive ADHD profiles.

4th percentile. Way, way, way below average. He is extremely slow with everything, academic, fine and gross motor, daily tasks like putting on shoes or brushing teeth, even answering a simple question. You have time to see the wheels slowly turn in his head.

He also has an IQ of 130, so it's really difficult to find appropriate education for him. Right now he's in the MCPS GT/LD program (gifted, talented and learning disabled).

[Anonymous]

For my son it’s meant that he needed everything written down. He learns almost nothing at the speed the teacher usually teaches it in class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My son with ADHD and suspected HFA has a processing speed in the 4th percentile. Processing speed is often impacted in inattentive ADHD profiles.

4th percentile. Way, way, way below average. He is extremely slow with everything, academic, fine and gross motor, daily tasks like putting on shoes or brushing teeth, even answering a simple question. You have time to see the wheels slowly turn in his head.

He also has an IQ of 130, so it's really difficult to find appropriate education for him. Right now he's in the MCPS GT/LD program (gifted, talented and learning disabled).

My son has almost the same stats as PP but 8th percent speed processing. Can definitely see the wheels turning. He’s In AAP but struggles with the speed and execution functioning required (not the content). No book or doc can explain to me why he can speed read despite the low speed processing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t mean anything in the absence of actual challenges you are seeing. Could be a mistake, or could be correct but nbd. Everyone would have some quirks if we were all subjected to extensive testing.

This. Why was your child being tested?

And was the test a WISC? Processing speed is measured on the WISC using two pencil and paper visual scanning tasks. Sometimes kids do poorly because they think and problem solve slowly. Sometimes they write/make marks slowly, or spend a lot of time erasing to make it perfect. Sometimes they don't go as quickly as they can because they are nervous.

The scores can be helpful, but they are not a magical snapshot of your child's brain and abilities. You have to consider the context of the concerns you had or didn't have before testing.

This.

I have DC whose last psycho-educational testing had results similar to your DC's. My DC is in middle school. It has had no effect on his functioning at all. He's in regular public with no IEP and doing well in school.

It concerned me so I had that subtest administered by another tester six months later and that result was normal.

The test results are very dependent on the tester's skills and those can vary widely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My son with ADHD and suspected HFA has a processing speed in the 4th percentile. Processing speed is often impacted in inattentive ADHD profiles.

4th percentile. Way, way, way below average. He is extremely slow with everything, academic, fine and gross motor, daily tasks like putting on shoes or brushing teeth, even answering a simple question. You have time to see the wheels slowly turn in his head.

He also has an IQ of 130, so it's really difficult to find appropriate education for him. Right now he's in the MCPS GT/LD program (gifted, talented and learning disabled).

My 13-year-old is very, very similar. We count to five in our heads any time we ask something to give him time to respond. Unfortunately, we have not found an educational system that works well. FCPS does the bare minimum, special needs private was too remedial, now in middle-school and no idea what better options there are.