Slow processing is a common experience for dyslexic learners but is so often misunderstood and poorly supported at home and in the classroom. I have found a resource that you just have to read…

Does this sound familiar?

“Why won’t you just listen?”

“This information is going through one ear and out of the other.”

“Didn’t you listen the first time?”

I don’t know about you but I know that I have often felt frustrated when I have shared information or instructions to others and they have not been actioned or appear to have been forgotten!

There is nothing more frustrating than sharing some information with another person and they do not seem to have listened. It can feel frustrating and often can leave us wondering why were they not listening or paying attention?

We often make an assumption about the intent of the person when this happens…

The problem is, it is so easy to see that another person has not processed the information that we have given them and then somehow rationalise why that has happened by making some judgement about that person not listening or concentrating enough. Sometimes this can be the case, but when we apply this to a dyslexic learner, there is a good chance that they really do want to listen or engage with educational content, but they have not been given enough time to process the information as quickly as their peers and we as adults have basically insulted them by making an inaccurate judgement or assumption about them.

Dyslexis learners want to listen, they want to read educational content but it takes time to process that information, often more time that is given them.but we risk their enthusiasm in egaging by saying that they were not concentrating enough or that they were not listening enough. It is demoralising and ultimately brings about the development of poor behavioural coping strategies at home or in class.

If we as parents or teachers are seeing this scenario taking place then we need to consider what ‘Slow Processing ‘is and how we can support a child with slow processing.

What is Slow Processing or Slow Processing Speed?

Understood.org usefully explains slow processing with in the video below featuring Ellen Braaten PhD:

Ellen Braaten is a psychologist and Director, Learning and Emotional Assessment Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital For Children. She is the author of ‘Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up”.

As you can see from the above video, when we are supporting young dyslexic learners (and adults too, my own processing speed can be really frustrating at times) we need to be mindful of what is really happening when we impart information to others and we need them to ‘get it’.

A resource for helping us to help young people with slow processing in class.

SENCO, Faye Favill from the Cadogan Centre at St David’s College has written a wonderful download resource that is available to you if you support a learner with dyslexia or other co-occuring conditions.

In the download she further defines what slow processing is, identifies signs of slow processing and shares some practical tips on how to support a pupil who is experiencing slow processing.

This leaflet would be particularly useful for parents and teachers of dyslexic learners.

To download it simply click on the picture on the right or the banner below.