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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Debated getting DD checked for slow processing speed at beginning of MS because she definitely has that. But decided against it because even with accomodations in school, jobs won't extend that. So best to learn how to work with the brain you have in the system we have and push the brain to the max capacity. Much easier to do that when young and brain is most plastic and also when young because there is the support and safety net of parents.

I thought to have extra time accommodations when in school and then not have it suddenly as an adult will be a rude awakening.  This way DD will force her brain to adapt a bit and also she will find a career path that suits her.

In my field of work, slow processing wouldn't work and their can be no accommodations. I work at top speed everyday with massive amounts of information, and critically make judgements and decisions that affect other people's wellbeing.  DD won't end up in my job but that's ok. She will find her way.

She's near the end of MS now, and the processing speed has gotten better in my assessment, and same with her memory and ability to connect information.  She's not the brightest or the fastest by any means, but the improvement as been marked!

The brain can adapt and rise to the occassion more than many parents are allowing for their kids.  F[b]or me it is more important to expand her brain's abilities and struggle right now while I can support her than it is for me for her to get straight As. I decided accommodations may help her grades now but would not be in her best interest in the long run.  Forcing her brain to make and strengthen these neuronal connections will serve her much better for her life.[/b][/quote] +++ that is a bold and correct decision[/quote]

I totally agree too. And it doesn’t feel politically correct to say it. The brain is a muscle and it’s better for kids to work it as hard as they can in school.

My parents felt the same way about executive functioning skills. They were basically drill sergeants. My siblings and I know how to keep a calendar, a clean house, and get our school work done. I know for a fact that if I had laid back parents I would have floundered. [/quote]

I get the value in what you and PP are saying. The brain is malleable and one can improve upon what doesn’t come naturally. But it’s more complex than this. The brain does a lot of weird things to protect itself from hurt. One of these things is to give up on tasks that feel insurmountable, and that’s what many adhd/LD people have done through time. Sometimes giving up happens in big ways (our prisons are filled with stories of unaddressed learning needs), sometimes it happens in quieter ways — people who live functional lives but prematurely give up on their full potential.

Accommodations can be a part of helping people realize that they can learn and get better at things. If you have slow processing speed and always do poorly on timed tests, you never know why you’re failing — it’s easy to assume it’s because you simply aren’t capable of learning the material. (And if you simply aren’t capable, why try?). If a kid learns that they *can* learn the material, they just (a) need to practice speed, and (b) may thrive in careers that emphasize long-form deep work, that seems more helpful than harmful.

Anyway, I note that PP’s kid is still in middle school. Still a lot ahead for her DD. I admire that she’s doing her best to help her kid. Her understanding of the “best help” might change with time. Or it might not. Either way, I wish her and her kid good luck. [/quote]

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