Why is My Child So Slow?

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My Child is So Slow! By Megan Weiss, Ed.S. NCSP.

Eve’s nickname is “Eeyore” one parent told me.  She was feeling frustration when dealing with her child completing tasks slower than everyone else. Whether it was doing homework, completing simple household chores, or getting out the door in the morning, Eve was slow or the last one to go.  It required constant reminders and mom felt like she was always nagging.  She hypothesized her daughter was perhaps lazy, unmotivated, or did not understand what to do.  But what really perplexed this mom was that Eve was slow regardless of if the activity was something fun or routine. It could be getting ready for a fun day at the waterpark and she was still slow.

Why is my Child So Slow?

There are many reasons why a child is completing tasks at a much slower pace than their peers.

  • One reason is your child could have slower processing speed so even simple tasks will take them longer to complete. This can leave your child feeling overwhelmed, mentally fatigued, and discouraged.
  • Second, your child could have a weak working memory and struggle to keep track of the tasks they are assigned and often forget what to do next. This can especially be noticed if you give your child multiple tasks at once.
  • Third, your child may have weaker inhibition which means that they have a hard time resisting distractors. Your child could be cleaning their room and find something they misplaced and become distracted playing with this and not cleaning up.
  • Fourth, your child might have ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive Presentation or what we used to call ADD.

What Could I Do?

Seek answers and understanding so you can do something different instead of becoming frustrated with your child and straining your relationship. A school neuropsychological evaluation will help you get to the root cause of why your child completing tasks so slowly. Our evaluations assess all of these potential causes and provide specific and helpful recommendations to improve your child’s functioning in the home and school settings.

Call us (561) 625 4125 to discuss your child and your needs.