PROCESSING SPEED DIFFICULTIES

Have ever tried to recall a word you want to use to express something and you can’t? Or to recall the name of a person or place and you find you cannot?

But-wait- How can you know something so well yet you can’t remember it? What’s stopping you from getting it?

Well, this happens a lot to students during exam or test times. It is commonly known as Processing Speed Difficulty or barrier. You are sure you know it, but you can’t retrieve the word you wish to use. You get frustrated by this disability during crucial time and you can’t do anything about it.

Consider a student who has this problem in your class. He can do the thinking, and can complete a task, -but who seems to take an unusual length of time to do so.

It may stem from slow processing of visual information, or it may be slow processing of oral information; or it may be both.

The problem is compounded by inability to hold and process information at the same time. The students find it hard to listen to the teacher talking or giving instruction in front of class and doing as instructed. In most cases, they simply give up, and look for something else that attracts their attention.

A lot of teachers think it’s a simple discipline matter that can be resolved through a punishment reward system. Or, they simply think the child is not motivated to work. But, wait! Can a student be motivated to do what they are already not able to do? Motivation is about doing better in what you are capable of doing!

At home, parents can also pick out slow processing signs in their children. You ask them to say, get dressed in time for a function or a Church service and when you get back to check on them, you discover they haven’t even begun to get ready. At school, they didn’t finish assignment, homework or test.

When Mary didn’t finish her class work, her teacher sent the unfinished work home to be completed along with her usual homework. These children all have slow work pace, which leads to problems at school and at home. They need the understanding and help of parents and teachers so that they can succeed and so that their self-esteem is not damaged.

Teachers and parents could greatly help such learners, but the most important part is learning to identify the disability or barrier. For teachers, repeating directions and instruction would greatly help. Encouraging questions and giving gentle reminders and providing them templates for similar work completed successfully, word banks would greatly help this child.