I still meet students who tell me they cannot keep up with their lessons - often not being able to listen and write notes at the same time. Or the teacher and class have moved on before they have processed new information. Below is a list I found on Understood.org of the signs teachers should look out for if they feel their student might be struggling to process information.

Signs of Slow Processing Speed in High School

· Has a hard time taking notes when the teacher is speaking.

· Struggles to follow fast-paced conversations in person or online, often missing sarcasm, jokes and subtle social cues.

Misses nuances in conversations and can’t keep up when friends switch topics.

· Gets noticeably overwhelmed when faced with too much information at one time.

· Often can’t finish tests in the allotted time, such as tests that involve multi-step math problems.

· Needs more time than seems necessary to answer questions and make decisions.

· Speaks slowly and often struggles to find the right word, saying things like “that thingamajiggy” instead.

· Struggles to finish projects on time, which may make people think they’re lazy or unmotivated.

· Doesn’t participate in class discussions or seminars.

· Struggles in classes that require a quick understanding of visuals, like geography, biology and astronomy.

· Tells stories at a very slow pace, to the point of losing track of where they are in the story.

· Seems to have poor time management skills and is often late on assignments.

· Struggles with long-term assignments, often losing track of important details.

So, what might Help?

Email the notes – they should still try to take notes as this will keep them engaged, however, if notes are emailed - or put on to the school portal it is guaranteed to get home in one piece
Email the homework – if the task isn’t specific to their learning lesson it i.e. if writing down the homework isn’t important – you write it.
Use a word processor – if your student's handwriting is illegible teach them to type so that using the word processor will be a 'normal way of working' for the student.
Shorten their notes - if the writing isn't important - shorten what you want them to write down.
Have word list/information available before the unit - the dyslexic student can be better prepared as they begin a new unit.
Teach study skills – reviewing their work – not just seeing it once (quick quizzes beforehand) – don’t assume they will naturally mature and understand – it often goes over their heads and they are immature.
Be aware of seating - often it is necessary to place students near the front however noise from behind can be disturbing therefore check with the student.
Recording notes – use scribe pens, 'capture' notes on their phone, or dictate to their phone.
Time management – your time management – give them the chance to answer – answer in pairs, write the answer down, draw the answer…
Different ways of giving an answer - allow for other methods to show understanding - on post-its, to a neighbour, draw a diagram, dictate
Teacher time management - do not assume a dyslexic student can manage their time.

www.understood.org

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