Our world seems to honor speed.  It’s all about how much we can accomplish in the least amount of time.  Many jobs are tied to productivity which is essentially the speed in which products or services can be provided to the marketplace.  Some people equate speed with intelligence.

 

Many intelligent children and adults process information at a slower pace than others.  These individuals may struggle with timed tasks while being capable of solving complex problems.  As children, they may appear to lack motivation and sometimes get referred to as “lazy.”  

 

I became interested in processing speed when I started noticing this dichotomy of fast and slow that exists within many family systems.

 

How does this look?

 

If the primary caregiver is a fast processor and the child is a slow processor, this combination often results in great friction, especially if this difference has not been identified.

 

If you are a fast processor, you are probably already aware of this.  But you may not have recognized that your child processes information more slowly than you do.  

 

Once this is recognized, what to do?

 

First and foremost, view it as a "difference" instead of a “deficit.”  There are many strengths that accompany slow processing.  It is a gift to be able to slow down in our fast-paced world.  This type of person typically does not over-commit themselves and provides a calming presence to those around him/her.  This ability to take things slowly often enables them to notice more detail.  These individuals are not broken.  They are a beautiful aspect of our world.  

 

As children, they should receive accommodations in school.  They will need to learn some ways of adapting to our current world without losing the essence of who they are.  As adults, they will need to seek out or create employment opportunities that are more focused on the quality of the finished product than productivity. 

 

In the meantime…here are a few tips for fast-processing parents of slow-processing children:

 

6 TIPS FOR PARENTING SLOW PROCESSORS

1.  Recognize and accept that your child processes information more slowly than you do.

2.  Help your child to understand this aspect of him/herself in a positive light.

3.  Openly discuss processing speed differences within your family.

4.  Slow down!  Assign tasks one step at a time instead of giving multiple directives at once.  Fast processors often

     overwhelm slow processors.

5.  Repetition is key.  Slow processors need to practice tasks over and over again in order to ingrain them into their

     daily routine.  So don’t tell them once and expect them to have grasped it.

6.  Let them be capable.  Try to refrain from the natural tendency to do things for them to speed up the process.  

 

So hurry up and start slowing down!