Specific Signs of Cognitive Skills Deficiencies
Attention
- Has difficulty focusing on work or school
- Seems spacey or unmotivated
- Is able to concentrate on subjects or activities he/she enjoys
- Seems inconsistent
- Has trouble sitting still
- Seems disobedient
- Impulsive
- Seems as though he/she cannot help it
- Does not complete tasks or assignments
- Seems too easily overwhelmed
- Takes a child way too long time to finish homework. Takes an adult far too long to accomplish a simple task because of distractions.
- An adult might articulate an attention issue by saying, “I can’t seem to make myself get stuff done. When I have a lot to do, I don’t know where to start, so I end up not doing anything at all.”
Processing Speed
- Works too hard for what is achieved
- Takes hours to complete homework
- Studies for hours for tests but still does not do well
- Does not finish tests
- Everyone else is done, but he/she is still working
- Has difficulty writing a paper
- Cannot articulate thoughts in order to write them down
- Once their thoughts are down, it is almost impossible to edit and improve
- Does not participate in class or at work because it takes too long to process what is being talked about
- Poor social skills because conversations move faster than the individual can keep up with
- Athletes struggle to “read” opposing team’s defense.
- An adult might articulate a processing speed deficiency by saying, “I don’t understand why it takes me so much longer to do what seems to be easy for everyone else.”
Memory
- Seems to know information at home, but “chokes” when he/she gets to school
- Asks to have things repeated
- Cannot follow multi-step (written or verbal) instructions
- Poor reading comprehension
- Difficulty with math facts and rules
- Athletes cannot remember their teams’ plays
Auditory Processing
- Difficulty with reading, comprehension, spelling and vocabulary
- Has trouble paying attention and remembering information presented orally
- Has trouble carrying out multistep directions
- Has poor listening skills
- Needs more time to process information
- Has low academic performance
- Has language difficulty (e.g., confuses syllable sequences and has problems developing vocabulary and understanding language)
Reading/Spelling
- Cannot decode unfamiliar words
- Is inconsistent…sometimes will read things easily, other times will struggle
- In Title I at school, but not making progress
- Diagnosed with Dyslexia
- Does not read fluently, reading is choppy
- Diagnosed with Auditory Processing Deficiency
- Is pushed through grade levels because of obvious intelligence, but is still struggling to read and keep up in class
- Performs well on spelling tests, but cannot spell in context (i.e. story writing)
- Leaves out letters (or puts them in the wrong place) when spelling
Logic and Reasoning
- Has trouble with abstract concepts
- Prioritizing and planning are difficult
- Has difficulty with math word problems
- Has trouble with problem solving
- Not able to think outside the box