Decoding Processing Speed: Understanding Why Your Child Struggles to Keep Up

For many parents, hearing the term “processing speed” for the first time can create more questions than it answers.

You likely first encountered it tucked within a bunch of test results as you’ve been seeking to better understand your child’s learning differences. But what does it actually mean? And, more importantly, how does it affect your child?

What is processing speed?

The world is constantly sending us messages, visually or verbally, and we all have to make sense of them and respond accordingly. We have to understand what each message is telling us, and then we have to decide what to do with the information.

Most people can understand and respond to information they hear, see or read almost instantaneously. However, for people with slower processing speeds, it can take a while to decode a message and determine the next step.

If your child struggles to keep up, especially in school or social situations, it could be tied to this difference. You might notice your child:

• Pauses for a few seconds before responding in a conversation
• Seems like they are daydreaming or ignoring you
• Requires instructions for a task more than once
• Takes a long time to explain something
• Misses social cues or nuances in a conversation
• Needs more time to make a decision 
• Struggles to follow fast-paced conversations in person or online 
• Often does not pick up on sarcasm or jokes

How does processing speed impact learning?

Imagine your child is sitting in class while the teacher is introducing a new project. The teacher starts by giving an overview of the project and then asks the students to read a passage, underline the key facts and respond to a reflection question. The teacher wraps up the instructions and asks the students to begin.

While many students pick up their pencils and start reading the passage, children with slower processing speeds may feel frozen and overwhelmed. They don’t lack the intelligence or cognitive ability to complete the assignment; it’s simply that the information came at them too quickly to process immediately.  A child with a processing speed difference may still be making sense of the first part of the teacher’s message while classmates are ready to begin the assignment.

In the short run, slower processing speed does impact learning. Students with this challenge:

• Have to work harder to process what is being said in class
• Struggle to follow multi-step directions
• May freeze up or become anxious about their abilities
• Find it difficult to finish tests and assignments, especially those with time pressures
• Have challenges with taking notes
• Feel overwhelmed by too much information at once
• Need to read information over and over again to understand or retain it

Remember: Slow processing speed affects how your child learns, communicates and performs, but it absolutely does not define their intelligence or potential.

Challenges That Pair with Slow Processing Speed

Slow processing speed doesn’t typically occur in isolation. It often overlaps with other learning differences, such as dyslexia, ADHD or dyscalculia. This can magnify its impact on academic performance, executive functioning and everyday social interactions.

One significant challenge tied to slow processing is anxiety. Researchers are still exploring the cause-and-effect relationship. It might be that children feel anxious because they can’t keep up and fear judgment due to their slower processing speed. But it’s also possible that anxiety is the root issue and makes it harder for people to process information. Either way, it’s often the case that elevated anxiety and slow processing speed appear together.

Supporting Students with Slow Processing Speed

Academic environments can also compound these challenges. Children with slower processing speeds sometimes face unnecessary pressure in schools that do not understand this profile. Teachers may interpret the delay as laziness or inability rather than as part of the child’s individual learning style. This mismatch can lead to frustration on both sides, affecting the child’s confidence and engagement.

The Howard School consistently meets students who have experienced this misunderstanding in prior schools. While not necessarily the result of uninformed teaching, many traditional classrooms lack the tools or insights to accommodate slow processors effectively.  Some children will eventually internalize this as an indication of their lack of worth or academic acuity.

At The Howard School, we take a more thoughtful and compassionate approach, ensuring that kids feel supported and, most importantly, understood. We emphasize knowledge over performance because we know that challenges with processing speed don’t diminish a child’s capacity to learn.

Here are some strategies we use to support students with slower processing speeds, as well as tips parents can try at home:

• Starting routines early to avoid rushing and feeling anxious 
• Practicing a specific skill or task over and over to become more automatic with it 
• Having more time for assignments and tests
• Offering advanced notice of what’s coming up to allow the student to prepare to receive the new information 
• Providing extra time to process verbal or visual information before asking a child to do something 
• Checking in with students frequently to ensure comprehension, support initiation, and determine next steps
• Speaking more slowly or slowing down video and audio recordings
• Providing written directions alongside the verbal directions
• Offering visual aids to refer to when listening or taking notes
• Shortening the number of items on a task
• Providing assistive technology to reduce the processing load of handwriting or to allow students to hear text as they read it

What Doesn’t Help

When it comes to processing speed, one common mistake is believing it can be “fixed.” The internet is filled with programs that claim to improve processing speed through brain games or activities, but these improvements are often limited to the game itself. Save your money and energy by skipping these resources.

Instead, work with your child to increase their self-awareness and find strategies to mitigate any processing speed challenges.  Tools that empower students with processing speed differences to adapt to their environment are the keys to their academic success.

Why The Howard School’s Approach Stands Out

At The Howard School, we teach students that processing speed differences may be part of their unique learning profile, and that with the right tools, they can succeed in school and life. Our teachers and staff work with families to individualize support, ensuring each student feels valued and capable.

In our society, we are addicted to the idea that speedy completion of tasks is a measure of intelligence. However, we know that is not accurate. While slower processing speed may impact academic achievement in the short term, it is not related to intelligence

These students are not lazy, defiant, or less capable. They struggle with processing information at the same speed as neurotypical peers, and in the end can accomplish the same great things. Allowing accommodations and learning strategies to work around slower processing speed helps a student be successful in class, build confidence and become more independent.

The Howard School is a private K-12 school in Atlanta serving students with one or more of the following learning differences: dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, expressive language disorder, receptive language disorder, auditory processing disorder, executive functioning challenges and attention deficit disorder.

To learn more about whether The Howard School is a good fit for your child, complete our inquiry form. Our team will reach out to connect with you and schedule a guided tour of campus.