Understanding Slow Processing Speed

First things first, what exactly is slow processing speed? Essentially, it’s like having a little lag time in processing information. Whether it’s following instructions, completing tasks, or participating in discussions, students with slow processing speed may need a bit more time to absorb and respond to what’s happening around them.

Signs of Slow Processing Speed

Keep an eye out for signs like taking longer to complete assignments, needing extra time to process verbal instructions, or struggling to keep up with fast-paced classroom activities. Students with slow processing speed may frequently answer classroom discussion questions with “I don’t know.” Or they may look like they are ignoring the question. Recognizing these signs early on can help us tailor our support strategies to meet each student’s unique needs.

Coping Strategies for Speech Pathologists and Teachers

Visual Aids for the Win

Incorporate visual aids like charts, diagrams, and color-coded organizers to supplement verbal information. These tools provide a visual roadmap that can help students with slow processing speed better understand and remember information.

Break It Down, Step by Step

When introducing new tasks or assignments, break them down into smaller, more manageable steps. This helps prevent overwhelm and gives students a clear roadmap to follow, one step at a time.

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

Repetition is key! Repeat important information multiple times using different modalities (verbal, visual, tactile) to reinforce learning and boost comprehension.

Time Isn’t Always of the Essence

Offer extended time for completing assignments and assessments to accommodate the slower processing speed of some students. Remember, it’s not about how fast they finish—it’s about understanding and mastery.

Ace Active Listening

Teach active listening strategies like summarizing information, asking clarifying questions, and taking notes during discussions. These techniques help students stay engaged and enhance their comprehension skills.

Speak Slowly and in Shorter Chunks

Like listening to a foreign language, students with processing difficulties need time to process a piece of information before they are given the next piece. Practice slowing your speech down and pausing frequently when introducing material. Everyone in the class will benefit.

Allow Think Time

• Give students a heads-up about discussion topics in advance, allowing them extra time to process and formulate their thoughts. 
• Give students ample think time after asking a question to allow those with slower processing speed to gather their thoughts and formulate their responses. 

• Incorporate a few seconds of think time before a question is answered for every student. 
• Teach students they can signal that they are still thinking with an index finger held up or another signal to ask for more time. 
• Give students more productive alternatives for saying “I don’t know.”  Treasure Clues for Learning is a resource I’ve made to assist. 

Encourage Turn-Taking

Establish clear rules for turn-taking during small group discussions to ensure that all students have an opportunity to contribute at their own pace.

Provide Scaffolded Support

Offer scaffolded support during discussions by breaking down questions into smaller parts, showing them where to find the answer, or providing sentence starters to help students structure their responses. Cuing and prompting can help these students make connections faster.

Conclusion

As speech pathologists and teachers, we play a crucial role in creating inclusive and supportive classroom environments where every student can thrive. By implementing these coping strategies with empathy, patience, and flexibility, we can empower students with slow processing speed to reach their full potential and succeed academically and beyond. And truthfully, these strategies will help every student in your class. 

Keep up the fantastic work, and remember—we’re all in this together!

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As a Speech Language Pathologist, I’m used to being on the clinician side of the table, helping others with communication and cognition.  I’m the one with the answers, right?  But when I found myself trying to cope with the symptoms of a concussion that had lasted months past the expected recovery time, my perspective flipped.

What is Post-Concussive Disorder?

Post-Concussive Disorder (PCD) is the catch-all for these lingering symptoms. Symptoms can include headaches, nausea, mental fog, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, poor memory, noise and/or light sensitivity, vision disturbances, anxiety, depression… all symptoms associated with a concussion and then some. It’s not understood what causes it, how to treat it, or even how much of the population experiences it.  Numbers range from 11% to 82% of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) cases.  I know, helpful, right?!

So let me back up a little.  It was the early summer of 2022, and we had emptied our pool to do repairs and clean, and I, being the wonderful wife and mother that I am, got up early to get a jump on the heat.  Little did I realize that the dew was heavy enough to turn our vinyl liner into a slip-n-slide, and no sooner had I stepped off the fiberglass steps than I found myself on my back, the occipital portion, where my skull rounds to connect to my spinal column, on the edge of the fiberglass step.

I don’t think I lost consciousness, but we went in that day, and had a scan that showed that there was no apparent bruising on my brain.  I had mild to moderate typical concussion symptoms, but my neck pain never went away.  So then I went to physical therapy, Round 1, which alleviated the neck pain to a tolerable level.

Well, now the school year was starting.  I was still feeling lightheaded and dizzy if I turned too fast, still had some neck pain, had a persistent headache.  I felt like my mind was moving through sludge.  Getting through groups of elementary kids was…difficult.  And the problem was, it continued to worsen, to the point where I was having daily migraines and took medical leave that October.

After that, I had the school district breathing down my neck to get back to work.  We were struggling to find a solution.  I couldn’t think clearly most of the time, even having word recall issues.  I struggled even knowing what it was that was wrong with me, just that I wasn’t right.  My general practitioner isn’t much help, but we do find a “concussion doctor” who, of course, is an hour away and doesn’t take our insurance.  

After a couple of months of testing, I find that I now have eyes that focus in slightly different directions.  I go to physical therapy (Round 2) to work on visual integration, I go to speech therapy to work on the mental fog and memory.  I am hiding in my room in the dark with one lamp, and telling my family to keep quiet.  Thank goodness my kids are teens.

It comes to the point I have to resign from my job in May 2023.  At that point, even with nearly six months of treatment orchestrated by the concussion expert, I’m still having daily migraines.  My speech therapist was wonderful, and had me walking the track around the rehab center’s gym while I performed memory and cognition tasks to aid in desensitization to light and noise.

Now, nearly two years after, I have headaches almost daily, but they are headaches, not migraines.  I’ve had two sets of lenses because my eye focus has changed.  But the mental fog has dissipated, and I feel like myself again for the most part.  I seem to misspell words more now, and memory is still an issue compared to pre-concussion.  And I’ve picked up a slight stutter that comes out when my brain is overdoing it.

Now, why do I tell you all this?  As speech-language pathologists, we often are treating individuals who have experienced a concussion, and we may not even realize it.  Because no one tells the speech teacher in the corner closet, right?  And we should be aware that these symptoms can persist weeks, months, even years after the typical recovery period.

 We need to be prepared to go to bat for our students who might need extra help with coping strategies in the aftermath of a concussion.  They may not be able to describe what’s wrong.  These challenges are invisible, and in many ways, unmeasurable, and can add up to creating emotional issues as well.  Students who have experienced a concussion may need accommodations that are not “listed” in our handy IEP software.  They may need cognitive therapy to address attention, memory or problem-solving issues.  Counseling may even be necessary.

As speech-language professionals, we need to raise awareness and understanding both of concussions and post-concussive disorder.  We need to help families navigate the symptoms, and educate teachers watch for the signs in their students.

Together, we can help them on the road to recovery, one step at a time.

Wishing the best to my powerful speechies,

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