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

by Braaten, Ellen; Willoughby, Brian

• ISBN13: 9781609184728
• ISBN10: 1609184726
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2014-07-18
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

Do you find yourself constantly asking your child to "pick up the pace"? Does he or she seem to take longer than others to get stuff done--whether completing homework, responding when spoken to, or getting dressed and ready in the morning? Drs. Ellen Braaten and Brian Willoughby have worked with thousands of kids and teens who struggle with an area of cognitive functioning called "processing speed," and who are often mislabeled as lazy or unmotivated. Filled with vivid stories and examples, this crucial resource demystifies processing speed and shows how to help kids (ages 5 to 18) catch up in this key area of development. Helpful practical tools can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. Learn how to obtain needed support at school, what to expect from a professional evaluation, and how you can make daily routines more efficient--while promoting your child's social and emotional well-being.

Author Biography

Ellen Braaten, PhD, is Director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) at Massachusetts General Hospital and Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School. The coauthor of Straight Talk about Psychological Testing for Kids, Dr. Braaten lives with her family in Boston.

Brian Willoughby, PhD, is a Staff Psychologist at LEAP and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Willoughby specializes in neuropsychological assessments of children and adolescents with learning, developmental, and emotional concerns. He is married and lives in Boston.

Table of Contents

I. Understanding Processing Speed
1. "If My Kid Is So Smart, Why Is He So Slow?"
2. "My Child Doesn't Seem to Be Able to Keep Up . . . Now What Do I Do?"
3. "So What, Exactly, Is Processing Speed?"
II. Helping Your Child Keep Up in Daily Life
4. Processing Speed in the Family
5. Processing Speed at Home
6. Processing Speed in the Classroom
7. Processing Speed and Social Relationships
8. The Emotional Costs of Slow Processing Speed
III. Staying Informed
9. Pulling It All Together: Formally Assessing Processing Speed
Resources
Index