Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, often simply called ADHD, is a common condition that impacts many children and adults. In some people, slow processing speed (taking longer than others to complete tasks or thoughts) is an indicator of ADHD. In other cases, the slower processing speed can be unrelated to an ADHD diagnosis. It’s important to remember that, whether someone has slow cognitive processing or ADHD, neither condition is related to intelligence. Highly intelligent people may take longer to process information for a variety of reasons, including ADHD. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the possible warning signs that someone is struggling with slow processing speed or ADHD and how to tell the difference.
What Your Child’s Behavior Tells You
There are many warning signs of ADHD, and being able to appropriately identify these warnings can help clinicians and educators provide the best resources. Individual or parental observations are an important part of the intake process when you visit our office for assessment. When it comes to telling the difference between ADHD and slow processing speed, we usually ask the individual being tested and/or the parents of children receiving assessments to think about the reasons behind their child’s behaviors. The main sign that someone is struggling with slow processing speed, as the name suggests, is that it takes them a little longer to complete tasks – from everyday activities to challenging ones. They’re able to complete the tasks, but they need a little extra time. Slow processing speed is more often closely related to the person’s ability to concentrate or focus on tasks rather than an actually slower rate of processing complex information. Some signs that your child is struggling with slow cognitive processing related to ADHD include:
- Easily being distracted or having difficulty concentrating on a task
- Constantly fidgeting (tapping toes, pacing, swaying, etc.)
- Regularly starting complex projects and losing interest before completing them
- Excessively talking but struggling to maintain a coherent stream of thought
- Impulsively acting without thinking through potentially negative consequences
- Difficulty waiting their turn
- Frequently interrupting other people who are talking
Why Comprehensive Assessment is Essential
While the individual’s or parents’ perspectives as well as those of educators, caregivers, and others as appropriate are important, the comprehensive assessment battery performed by our skilled psychologists turns these observations into facts. Through a comprehensive, customized battery of assessments, you’ll know for certain what your own or your child’s abilities are and what challenges you may face as well as receiving the data you’ll need to succeed professionally, academically, or socially. We use the information you provide to inform our testing process in order to select the best assessments that provide you with clear, concise information.
Ready to Get Started with Assessment?
Whether you’re concerned about your child’s processing speed or you’ve always wondered about your own cognitive processing, assessment is a great resource. A professional assessment battery can provide answers to better understand the challenges a person faces and gives you the ability to overcome potential difficulties related to slowed processing, ADHD, and other diagnostic concerns. Getting started working with the knowledgeable professionals at the Northern Colorado Assessment Center by filling out our simple online request form or giving our team a call.
