Speeding up a Child with Slow Sensoring Processing Speed?

Perhaps if you had her evaluated for disabilities they'd be able to pinpoint what the issues are.

I truly think she may need to go to public school so she can receive the services she deserves.

I hope you have ruled out dyslexia. One of the characteristics of dyslexia is taking _forever_ to write or print or type.

I have a child in public high school, diagnosed with Asperger's, with such accommodations as "Receives a copy of notes - after making effort". That should be something your small school could do. That is, my child gets a copy of the notes the teacher used or gets a copy of the "fill-in-the-blank" review paper with all blanks filled with the correct answers.

And asking for more time to complete a test (one that is not timed but limited to that class period time) is a small accommodation.

My understanding is you don't need a diagnosis of ADD or one of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). What a local psychologist can do is write a letter recommending your child get accommodations in order to succeed in school.

A great resource is http://www.partnerstx.org/path (or just http://www.partnerstx.org). They have helped me a great bit. They state they are "Partners Resources Network: Empowering Parents Through Education".

(I had to laugh a little, too. There are counties in Texas bigger than Rhode Island! Hee! Hee!)

Good luck with your 6th grader!

The good news is that she has the right to a free, comprehensive evaluation at your local public school. I say this from the point of view of a person who has arranged such testing for students from our local Catholic school. This does not mean she has to attend the public schools. It is a service due her, wherever she attends school.

Write a letter requesting a full evaluation of all her skills to the Dir. of Special Education or Pupil Services Dir. The evaluation will determine her learning pathways and needs. You probably will have to make her available to a public school during the school day for the testing. Also request in that letter that you receive the reports prior to meeting to discuss them. At the meeting, ask what you can do specifically to meet her needs. You could also ask staff from her school to attend the meeting with you, if they can be made available to visit the public school meeting during the school day.

Best of luck.

R.,

I had to laugh a little at some of the responses. Clearly some of the responders don't understand how big Texas is and they don't understand how far Midland is in relation to the rest of the state. Hee hee! :) I think my question would be: who did her evaluation? Midland is a big enough town that you should have at least a handful of psychologists and psychiatrists that could help you with this. What was her IQ? I mean no disrespect, but could it be that she is just a little bit slower than her peers? My 7 year old has been seeing an OT that helps her with her handwriting speed. Is your daughter's condition that she can't actually process the information or just has a hard time getting it down on paper? If it is the latter, then an OT might be able to help with that some.

I do understand some of the responses that you have received about public schools and the services they provide. It could be that you need to check this out as a possibility. If, on the other hand, you get some solid recommendations for therapies and accommodations (which you should already have if she was properly evaluated), then I don't see any reason why you couldn't take those to the private school administrators - counselor, teacher, principal - and ask for those accomodations to be made in the private school setting. While she would not receive therapy AT the school, she would receive the accommodations and you could seek private therapy after school. HTH!

As a parent I don't know of any effective ways to help this and think that you really need to be considering accommodations and expert help. In a public school, a child with slow processing speed would be tested and would qualify for an IEP, which would allow for accommodations such as extra time on tests or slight reductions in workload. This will be important for things such as the SAT or ACT later so if you are planning on continuing in private school, make sure you have a high school who has someone qualified to request accommodations from the college board.

If you live in a rural area, perhaps you should consider an on-line tutor? I work for a test prep company and most of our work has transitioned to on-line sessions because we can reach students anywhere they live and it really is very effective. There may be a company out there that has someone who deals specifically with processing speed issues.

Finally, you may want to consider public school, where they have the resources and expertise to handle students who are not optimal, easy learners. Only you and your daughter would be able to weight the benefits of the small, religious school vs. the resources of the public schools in your area. My siblings and I all went to private Catholic schools except one of my brothers, who had learning disabilities. As much as my parents like Catholic school, they could see that our school was not equipped to meet his needs so he went to public school, where he received adequate support and thrived, exceeding everyone's expectations. The extra time she needs might be something she can just learn to live with, or it might end up really hampering her efforts in the higher grades so keep an open mind about what kind of resources she made need and how to get them. Good luck!

My daughter also has SPD. I agree with looking for computer games that are timed, so she plays something she likes but has to accomplish the task in a certain amount of time, so she can work at working under pressure. And as one poster stated, if she isn't having any issues with getting work done or failing classes, she won't get any extra help through the school. I too know this from experience.

Has she actually been diagnosed with this problem or are you just assuming that she has a problem? If you have an actual diagnosis, and a doctor's note, the school will make accommodations private schools included.

As far as speed, usually practice is what helps. There are reading programs that can help train your brain to read faster with accuracy. Math is the same way. Perhaps you should look into Kahn academy online or Kumon. My dd does Kumon, and they work on speed and accuracy with reading and math.

Is she on the autism spectrum? You may still be able to find tips/help through autismspeaks.org. Check out their site, and call the local office. Also google "sensory processing and homework". There may be tips that you can find that the school can implement without staff.

For our son with a processing disorder, the school district recommended computer games. Ones that are timed, etc. His is specifically language, no issues with math.

While he is a fan of computer games, we are also battling ODD. So, he only wants to play the games he wants to play, and not the ones that will actually help him. So, we are in search of computer games that meet both our needs.

Oh, and she will only receive services from public school if she is failing her current grade. If she is passing, she will not receive services. I am speaking from experience.

You mean her doctor is five hours away? And who is "they"? that doesn't know anyone locally.

You need to have her professionally evaluated, even if you have to travel five hours. That just seems so strange that there would not be a professional for that distance - we're talking like 300 miles! In Texas? Hmmm. I think you haven't done your yhomework.

I haven't read through the other responses, but please consider putting her in public school. I know this is a hard decision, but she will receive the services she needs there that just aren't available at a private school. Best of luck.