A child with a processing disorder often can learn the same things as their grade-level peers. However, the time it takes to dissect, digest, and apply the information fully may be substantially longer than other students. According to the educators at Currey Ingram, many students with learning differences can benefit from the individualized attention available at the Brentwood boarding school, just outside of Nashville.
Although slow processing is not considered a formal learning disability, it does have a profound effect on a student’s performance in the classroom. Processing speed, which is regarded as one of the most important functions in predicting a learning difference, makes it more difficult for the child to demonstrate proficiency. While they may be able to do the work, it will simply take them longer. This can be detrimental to their self-esteem in a typical classroom setting, where speed is often prioritized and students compared to others based on standardized benchmark testing. As a private school in Brentwood, TN, Currey Ingram does things differently.
Through testing, educators at this Nashville-area learning disability school can assess slow processing speed and provide child-specific accommodations that offer an opportunity for each student with special needs, such as processing speed, to showcase his/her abilities in a safe and nurturing environment. This makes a huge difference in the student’s desire to move forward with learning since he/she feels more at ease with each lesson.
Many learning differences and students with special needs present with slow processing. A child with ADHD, for example, might be fully capable of understanding text or mathematical instructions, but without an outlet, such as being allowed to talk themselves through their work, can have difficulty taking in and retaining information. Anxiety is another possible source of interference. In this case, having an adult present at the beginning of an assignment to provide additional instruction and encouragement may ease some of the tension. This might allow the child to focus on the task at hand. The result is better grades and a deeper understanding of the subject matter. More importantly, in-class accommodations can boost a young learner’s confidence.
Types of Accommodations
There are dozens of adjustment tactics that educators can employ to assist children with slow processing speed. A few of these are to:
I Do, We Do, You Do
Another accommodation that deserves attention is the “I-do, we-do, you-do” approach. In this method, the instructor completes a problem, followed by working through a similar problem with the student. The student is then encouraged to complete the third question on their own. This is another example of instruction that requires extended interaction with each student, the type of personal attention available at Currey Ingram. Students come to this Brentwood boarding school from all over the country to experience this kind of educational setting.
Currey Ingram’s staff is encouraged to get to know each child and their academic abilities before creating lesson plans. This provides the educator with an opportunity to identify processing deficits and choose the type of accommodation that is likely best-suited to each student. A traditional K-12 environment may lack the resources to do this effectively, even for students with an IEP.
Currey Ingram is a private boarding school in Brentwood, Tennessee, that focuses on helping students with learning differences achieve and succeed. Students at Currey Ingram enjoy individualized attention in an environment designed to elevate the academic experience. Our teachers and staff provide a smaller, more personalized setting for students with dyslexia, ASD, twice-exceptional, and many other diagnoses. For more information, visit www.curreyingram.org.