Working Memory / Processing Speed

[shinyhappypeople]

Has anyone had success improving their DC's working memory and/or processing speed?  What did you do?

 

So this is from DD's WISC IV....

 

working memory: 74 (Digit Span 3, Letter Number Sequencing 8)

processing speed: 62 (Coding 2, Symbol Search 4)

 

 

It sure explains A LOT of her struggles.  

[kbutton]

 I don't have answers, but  :grouphug: . We have deficits in these areas too. WM is better here, but my younger son's processing speed scores were close to that when he did the WISC two years ago. 

[Arcadia]

This book was useful to me. DS9 processing speed was much lower than DS10 so it affects daily life. I read the copy at Palo Alto library (think we are in the same state so you can ILL/Link+ if your library doesn't have a copy)

 

"Bright Kids Who Can't Keep Up: Help Your Child Overcome Slow Processing Speed and Succeed in a Fast-Paced World"

http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Kids-Who-Cant-Keep/dp/1609184726

 

Improving kiddo's organization skills help shorten time needed to finish tasks.

[shinyhappypeople]

Thanks, mamas.  I just got the eval results today and it's just... I don't even know how to process it.  

 

I was crying to my husband about this whole stupid, crappy, difficult situation (accompanied by stupid, crappy, difficult decisions to ponder) and then I had a lightbulb moment.  

 

I asked, "Have I *ever* in my life backed down from a challenge?"  Nope.  Nope.  Nope.  My mom says I'm like a bulldog with a bone.  I don't own any "quit."  Not even a little.

 

So... okay.  This is the reality of her processing speed and working memory, and those are pretty significant challenges.  And there's other stuff in the eval that was NOT pleasant.   Whatever.

 

But, you have to walk through hard times to get to the place of euphoria when you realize how far you've come and how much you've accomplished.    

 

We are going to be okay, no matter what.  

 

I have a feeling this is the kind of evening for me to have "Fight Song" on a continuous loop. ;)

[FairProspects]

We liked the same book Arcadia mentioned. AFAIK, there is not much at all that can be done to remediate processing speed, it is something that needs to be accommodated instead. You process at your body's speed. :) The NYT ran an article awhile ago about using games to increase executive function and working memory, which I thought was kind of fun and interesting, but I haven't really used their suggestions in a therapeutic sense to try and get defined results or anything.

[MyLittleBears]

 Just want to offer  :grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:   We are in the same boat. Ds processing speed and working memory are in the impaired range which is all paired into his autism. I hear where you are coming from. I cried too. I think my worst moment was when I got an Oak Meadow catalog and realized he would probably never, ever be able to handle a coarse load like a typical high schooler. That was a bad day but then I realized, he doesn't have to. Everyone has challenges, and everyone has strengths. We just have to find those strengths and focus our attention on them so we can use them as a channel for learning, while doing what we can to either accommodate the weaknesses and or work on them. 

[PeterPan]

You can bump working memory some.  A few people whose kids had processing speed in the *single digits* got it to bump to the mid-30s doing Interactive Metronome.  Since metronome work can be done for free, targets the EF portion of the brain, and is something you can add digit spans to, it's a win-win.  

 

Try to approach working memory lots of ways and keep it functional.  Functional means she can use it with distractions, while motor planning, etc. etc.  Functional.  So therapists who do VT, etc.  will put on distractions like a radio, the tv, have other kids in the room, etc.  I tried to bring in motor planning to our activities as well.  With ds I try to use his whole body.  (running, touching, etc.)  You can do visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.  and weave them together (say the steps, have dc repeat the steps, have dc do the steps, have dc tell you what they did)

 

Getting the report is always traumatic.  You'll bounce back and go into fight mode, so rah rah yourself is right!  :)

[prairiewindmomma]

We have found that ds's processing speed is slightly variable. Using the Zones of Regulation tool helps him remain in a place where learning can occur. Once he leaves the green zone, the processing completely shuts down.

[shinyhappypeople]

Hey y'all!  Last night I had an appt. with Dr. Google, and did you know that hypothyroidism can cause slow processing speed, low working memory, and depression?

 

DD has poorly controlled hypothyroid.  DH reminded me she was not always so sluggish and slow. This is newish (from about 4-5 years ago).  Come to think of it, that's also when she started slowing down in her learning (about 3rd grade). 

 

Her Nurse Practitioner (who is not my favorite at all, but I'm stuck with her) thinks a TSH level of 3 if perfectly fine.  No.  It's better than DD's unmedicated levels (8), it relieves her symptoms a little, but it is CLEARLY not fine.  So, now I have to go mama bear (as civilly as possible, honest) on the poor NP and get DD's meds adjusted.  This should be fun.

 

The recommendations in the eval report were all variation of "Put her in public school."  (Thank you for the vote of "no confidence," sir.) oh, and she would automatically be happier because... socialization. Yup, he used the s-word over and over.  He has no idea how many socialization opportunities she turns down at the moment.

 

Oh, and, my favorite quote from yesterday was when the evaluator told me, "They (public schools) have to listen to you and provide the accommodations because it's the law."  Yes, they're supposed to.  They might listen.  But, they might not.  First, they may have to listen to me threaten to sue under ADA.  Whatever.

 

She still needs vision therapy, so we're obviously going to complete that.  A depression screening will be useful.  We'll do that.  But there is NO way I'm making any other big decisions about her education until we get her medical issues under control.  Especially when the medical issues directly impact her learning.

[nature girl]

Her Nurse Practitioner (who is not my favorite at all, but I'm stuck with her) thinks a TSH level of 3 if perfectly fine.  No.  It's better than DD's unmedicated levels (8), it relieves her symptoms a little, but it is CLEARLY not fine.  So, now I have to go mama bear (as civilly as possible, honest) on the poor NP and get DD's meds adjusted.  This should be fun.

 

Yes, yes!! Many people have to be close to 1 before they feel healthy! You're supposed to go off the symptoms, NOT the numbers!!  If she's sluggish at 3, then she's probably still hypo--Print out articles to prove it to them, if you have to. SO many people are uninformed about hypothyroidism, even some endos. Go get em, mama bear!

[kbutton]

Hey y'all!  Last night I had an appt. with Dr. Google, and did you know that hypothyroidism can cause slow processing speed, low working memory, and depression?

 

DD has poorly controlled hypothyroid.  DH reminded me she was not always so sluggish and slow. This is newish (from about 4-5 years ago).  Come to think of it, that's also when she started slowing down in her learning (about 3rd grade). 

 

Her Nurse Practitioner (who is not my favorite at all, but I'm stuck with her) thinks a TSH level of 3 if perfectly fine.  No.  It's better than DD's unmedicated levels (8), it relieves her symptoms a little, but it is CLEARLY not fine.  So, now I have to go mama bear (as civilly as possible, honest) on the poor NP and get DD's meds adjusted.  This should be fun.

 

The recommendations in the eval report were all variation of "Put her in public school."  (Thank you for the vote of "no confidence," sir.) oh, and she would automatically be happier because... socialization. Yup, he used the s-word over and over.  He has no idea how many socialization opportunities she turns down at the moment.

 

Oh, and, my favorite quote from yesterday was when the evaluator told me, "They (public schools) have to listen to you and provide the accommodations because it's the law."  Yes, they're supposed to.  They might listen.  But, they might not.  First, they may have to listen to me threaten to sue under ADA.  Whatever.

 

She still needs vision therapy, so we're obviously going to complete that.  A depression screening will be useful.  We'll do that.  But there is NO way I'm making any other big decisions about her education until we get her medical issues under control.  Especially when the medical issues directly impact her learning.

 

I am glad you've seen the hypothyroidism information. It's so easy to not notice problems that creep up incrementally after being somewhat controlled. 

[wapiti]

The immune system affects the nervous system.  Just saying this because every now and then I need to get it out  :tongue_smilie:

[MyLittleBears]

The immune system affects the nervous system.  Just saying this because every now and then I need to get it out  :tongue_smilie:

 

 

Amen to this. We are currently going to a naturopathic doctor who discovered ds has a dairy intolerance. We took him off dairy and it has made a remarkable difference, not only on his immunity but his autistic symptoms are less severe. Much less"foggy" brain, less tired . I wonder if his testing scores would have been different had we done this sooner. It is amazing how much diet is related to immunity and immunity to everything else.

[shinyhappypeople]

Yes, yes!! Many people have to be close to 1 before they feel healthy! You're supposed to go off the symptoms, NOT the numbers!!  If she's sluggish at 3, then she's probably still hypo--Print out articles to prove it to them, if you have to. SO many people are uninformed about hypothyroidism, even some endos. Go get em, mama bear!

 

So... this morning I called the clinic to get her blood work results from a few weeks ago (the most recent ones) and he said, "Oh everything's normal," but I made him give me the actual numbers and her T4 is 1.3  (normal is 4.5 to about 10 or 11), and she's still having significant symptoms.  Can someone there PLEASE take this seriously?  :banghead:

 

Thank goodness we had already gotten a referral to an endocrinologist.  She sees him in a few weeks.  Should I take in a copy of the eval to show him the processing and working memory scores because of the possible relationship between her thyroid and her learning stuff?  I think I will.

[Little Women]

Don't forget, though, that what they are measuring here is not something valued by every culture.    Yes, it's important, but in many cultures, those who answer too quickly are considered rash.    It's part of who our kids are, but they may be deeper thinkers than most people, as well.   

[Arcadia]

:grouphug: I had the reverse problem. My kids pediatrician was panicking over DS9's hemoglobin level/anemia in his blood test when he was just above the "cutoff". Anemia runs on my side of the family, not sure about hubby's side. We did had lead poisoning test done for him as the area we stayed in before and after he was born was a high lead contamination area.

 

Don't forget, though, that what they are measuring here is not something valued by every culture. Yes, it's important, but in many cultures, those who answer too quickly are considered rash.

It is possible to have a very high processing speed score and still be a deep thinker.

Being rash has more to do with personality and maturity than the working memory or processing speed scores

[kbutton]

So... this morning I called the clinic to get her blood work results from a few weeks ago (the most recent ones) and he said, "Oh everything's normal," but I made him give me the actual numbers and her T4 is 1.3  (normal is 4.5 to about 10 or 11), and she's still having significant symptoms.  Can someone there PLEASE take this seriously?  :banghead:

 

Thank goodness we had already gotten a referral to an endocrinologist.  She sees him in a few weeks.  Should I take in a copy of the eval to show him the processing and working memory scores because of the possible relationship between her thyroid and her learning stuff?  I think I will.

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[Little Women]

It is possible to have a very high processing speed score and still be a deep thinker.

Being rash has more to do with personality and maturity than the working memory or processing speed scores

 

I'm sure this is true.  I was referring to the way many cultures consider a quick answer to be rash, not to whether a quick thinker necessarily thinks less deeply.

[Bookworm4]

So... this morning I called the clinic to get her blood work results from a few weeks ago (the most recent ones) and he said, "Oh everything's normal," but I made him give me the actual numbers and her T4 is 1.3  (normal is 4.5 to about 10 or 11), and she's still having significant symptoms.  Can someone there PLEASE take this seriously?  :banghead:

 

Thank goodness we had already gotten a referral to an endocrinologist.  She sees him in a few weeks.  Should I take in a copy of the eval to show him the processing and working memory scores because of the possible relationship between her thyroid and her learning stuff?  I think I will.

 

I know this is old, but I was wondering if you got any answers if the hypothyroidism was impacting her WM and processing.  I have a child with hypothyroidism and think her working memory is weak and wonder if her processing speed is low. 

[shinyhappypeople]

Upon further testing, her thyroid dx was dropped and now we have no clue what's going on.

[Bookworm4]

Upon further testing, her thyroid dx was dropped and now we have no clue what's going on.

 

I hope you get some answers soon. 

[caedmyn]

I don't have any experience with this with a child, but I can say from personal experience that hypothyroidism can absolutely affect working memory and processing speed.  I used to be quite smart, learn easily, think clearly, and have a nice, functional brain until too many years under high stress and too many babies who were terrible sleepers for a very long time really messed up my thyroid and adrenals.  Now I am sure I could be diagnosed with all sorts of learning disabilities.  My working memory is absolutely terrible.  I often have to repeat my kids' questions/requests several times in my head to be able to process them.  I have a really hard time thinking when there's background noise (ie talking children) or much clutter in my house.  I mix up words when talking or can't come up with the right word.  I never had trouble with any of these things until a few years ago.  (And it used to be worse/more extreme than this.  I'm under-medicated on thyroid meds due to multiple issues making it difficult to raise them properly, so I don't know if being optimized there would completely correct my brain function or if some of it is adrenals-related or related to some of my other health problems.)

 

If thyroid problems are suspected, I'd highly recommend the website www.stopthethyroidmadness.com.  It's not about whether thyroid labs are in-range--it's about where they are in relation to optimal.  Also, IME and according to that website, a full thyroid panel is really needed to be able to accurately diagnose thyroid problems.  My TSH, free T3, and free T4 were all within range.  My reverse T3 (this is the "stop" pedal for the thyroid) was just over range.  But I actually have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease) and am hypothyroid.  The free T3 is important because it dictates the type of meds I have to take (T3 only, most MDs prescribe T4 only).  I can't take anything with T4 in it, even Armour/natural dessicated thyroid which contains both T4 and T3 and works well for many people, because my body converts T4 to reverse T3 and I feel worse than ever.  You can order a thyroid panel yourself, without a doctor's order (at least for an adult...not sure how it would work for kids) and compare the numbers to those at the STTM madness to see if they're where they should be.  I don't know if they're different for kids, but they do have a Facebook group for kids with thyroid problems and questions could be asked there.

 

Anyway, just wanted to put that out there in case it could be helpful to someone.