Topic - Slow Processing Speed and ADHD
Parents tell me, “My son is Tigger, bouncing all over the place, but he does his schoolwork so slowly. What’s going on?”
The problem is with the white matter areas of the brain. In those with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and autism, their one common trait is abnormal white matter.
White matter plays a crucial role in communication between various regions of the brain.
In all three conditions, the problem was with the connection between the right and left hemispheres.
For the ADHD population, it’s the white matter in the emotional system that causes behavior and executive functioning problems, specifically processing speed because the hemispheres take so long to talk to each other.
Just because your Tigger moves at the speed of light, when it comes to coordinating their brains for schoolwork, they have a real reason for working at a snail’s pace. Be patient.
